I love doing experiments.

This season I want to do only one experiment: to try Alpine hive.I have read about this hive last year from” The Beekeepers’ Quarterly”.Why I want to try this hive? Because constructor claims,” the average season honey crop per a hive exceeds the honey crop of more frequent hives, especially in seasons with not very favorable honey crop.” Now, I’m using Longstroth hive and Dadant. Anyway there are a lot of explanations. For this we have to go back in time.
As I told you I live in Arad,west of Romania, 40 km far from Hungarian border and 100 km far from Ex Yugoslavian border. Hundreds years-- till 1918- the area was under austro-hungarian overruled. So,the local beekeeping was influenced by the austro-hungarian beekeepers. Just take a look to the hives(frames) used in my area:
-Orszagos 19/22,5 cm ~855 sq cm
-Neizer 25,5/22cm ~1122 sq cm
-Kuncs 24/31 cm ~1488 sq cm
-Arady 26/30,5 cm ~1586 sq cm
As far as I know the measurements for Longstroth 1676.6 sq cm and Alpine Hive is 27/21 cm ~1134 sq cm ( Oh,God I hate math).
Years ago,with my friend, I was going with the bloom.My friend had Kuncs hive(frames). Our hives were roughly strong but every time he got more honey than me up to 5-7 kg. I keep asking myself why.
3 years ago I met a beekeeper not far from my out apiary who changed his hives from Lonstroth to shallow hive (like shallow supers). With this hive he got about 16kg/hive when other beekeepers in the area got 6-7 kg/hive ; I have to mention that the season was poor like last years .(Other beekeepers testimony, not his)
For long time I realized that the beekeepers in my area don’t persist(they are not headstrong like a mule) they have a good reason to use old hives.
This is why I want to try this Alpine Hive.

Legend:Above photo: old Dadant hive made from reed(cane) not from wood.8o years old yet in use.
Below photo from left to right: Orszagos,Neizer,Kuncs,Arady frames