This episode of "The Poor Proles Almanac," titled "Episode 145 #10: Sending Bees to the Cube Farm; the Reverand's Langstroth Hive," explores the history, design, and limitations of the Langstroth hive, the most common type of beehive used in modern beekeeping. The hosts, Andy and Elliot, use their characteristic humor to unpack the complexities of this widely adopted hive model, highlighting its advantages, shortcomings, and potential alternatives.

The Langstroth Hive: A Revolutionary Design with Enduring Legacy

The episode introduces Reverend Lorenzo Langstroth, an American clergyman and beekeeper often hailed as the "father of American beekeeping." While acknowledging that Langstroth didn't invent the concept of removable frames, the hosts credit him with discovering the "bee space," a crucial gap of approximately one centimeter that prevents bees from gluing frames together with propolis, a resinous substance bees use for hive construction and maintenance. This innovation allowed for easy inspection and manipulation of hive components without damaging the comb or disrupting the colony.

The hosts emphasize that Langstroth's discovery, although significant, wasn't entirely unique. A Polish apiarist, Dr. Jan Dzierzon, had actually identified the same bee space 20 years prior and applied it to top-bar hives. However, Langstroth's design gained widespread recognition and adoption, largely due to its simplicity, affordability, and ease of use.

Anatomy of a Langstroth Hive: From Roof to Bottom Board

The hosts provide a detailed breakdown of the basic components of a Langstroth hive:

• Outer Cover: The roof of the hive, providing protection from the elements.
• Inner Cover: A barrier between the outer cover and the hive body, preventing bees from gluing the roof down and aiding in ventilation.
• Supers: Boxes placed above the hive body for honey storage.
• Queen Excluder: A mesh screen that prevents the queen from laying eggs in the supers, ensuring honey purity.
• Hive Body (Mediums or Deeps): Boxes where the bees live and raise brood. Mediums are shorter and lighter than deeps, making them easier to handle.
• Frames: Wooden structures within the hive body and supers that hold the honeycomb.
• Foundation: Sheets of beeswax imprinted with a hexagonal pattern, providing a guide for bees to build their comb uniformly.
• Bottom Board: The floor of the hive, providing an entrance for the bees.

The "Hot Potato" Problem: Disrupting Natural Bee Behavior

While acknowledging the advantages of the Langstroth hive, the hosts criticize the conventional practice of rotating hive boxes, which they humorously refer to as the "hot potato" method. This technique involves regularly shuffling the position of hive bodies and supers to encourage bees to build comb and store honey in desired locations. The hosts argue that this constant manipulation disrupts the natural bee behavior of building downward from the top of a cavity, potentially stressing the colony and hindering their ability to prepare adequately for winter.

They point out that conventional beekeeping often involves harvesting honey from the supers during the summer, leaving the bees with insufficient stores for the colder months. To compensate, beekeepers typically feed bees sugar water, which, while providing calories, lacks the nutritional complexity of natural honey.

Insulation: A Forgotten Factor in Modern Beekeeping

The hosts express concern that modern Langstroth hives are often constructed with thinner wood than those used in Langstroth's time, compromising insulation and forcing bees to expend more energy to maintain hive temperature. They advocate for a return to thicker hive walls and the incorporation of in