The Long Hive at Blackhorse is a development of the top-bar log hive, a synthesis of modern methods and traditional wisdom. The single horizontal chamber all but eliminates the need for lifting weights, and can be placed at the height kindest to the beekeeper's back. The use of full frames, and wired foundation for brood frames, makes the combs much more robust and easier to handle than top-bar combs. This is important for two reasons. In the first place a beekeeper who is less mobile is often forced to hold the frames at 'less than ideal' angles; if you don't believe us remove and inspect your frames while seated on a stool and see how awkward it seems. Secondly, given a single chamber, if swarming is going to be held to an acceptable level the brood combs need to be large and provide adequate space, this makes them heavy and liable to break away when they are only fixed to a top-bar. It is our opinion that the frames need to be deep, rather than wide, too, as although the hive is horizontal honeybees seem to prefer expansion and contraction through a vertical dimension. The experience from traditional, single chamber drawer hives found in continental bee-houses (and our Creation!) bears out this observation. In the Long Hive the frames we use are standard Commercials, 16"x10", Hoffman spaced.

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