The Berlepsch hive Part 2: The Design of a hive
A look at a nineteenth-century beekeeper trying to improve hive design just before Langstroth
In part 1 of this essay about August von Berlepsch’s hive design we explored his ideas about what made for a good hive design. He argued that a hive which can be divided into sections, and which uses movable frames are best, but also that wood (especially Poplar) is the best material and that the crucial consideration is to find a method for balancing the temperature especially at the extremes of cold in the winter and heat in the summer.
In part 2 of this essay, we will look at the design Berlepsch came up with and, especially, the innovations which he attempted to create the best kind of hive possible. The basis of his design was to start with what worked for the bees, themselves, but then to nudge the bees towards providing more benefits for the beekeeper as well. He argued that we should start from nature itself, but then aim to improve upon it for the benefit of ourselves and for the bees as well.
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