Long Lang Hive
The Long Lang Hive article by Caroline Abbott (April, 2018) certainly provides readers with another option to keeping bees compared to the traditional Langstroth Hive. The article, however, presents many questions to the reader which need to be answered. These include: moving the hives, feeding the bees, treatment for SHB and varroa mites, cleaning the bottom board, and honey collection.
I would also believe that once the bees begin collecting nectar and making honey, that these resources are placed just behind the brood nest, and in turn create a barrier to expansion of the brood nest, which in turn will lead to swarming.
Also, the author repeatedly states using the words of others that bees in horizontal hives do not swarm. She only goes so far to state in her own words that, “I don’t have to worry much about swarming.” I would like to suggest that this sort of thinking mimics that of those beekeepers who say, “I don’t have varroa mites in my hives; I know this because I have not seen them.”
Joe Treimel
Carmel, NY
P.S. I always enjoy those ABJ articles which are scientific in nature, by Alison McAfee, Randy Oliver and Keith Delaplane
Grant Me the Courage
Hello Kirsten,
I think you are off to a very good start as the new editor of ABJ. There is quite a breadth to the articles, and even though I don’t always agree with the author’s positions (I’m thinking of Alison McAfee’s ringing endorsement of GMOs last month), the overall quality of the magazine is excellent. I particularly want to commend you for ….
