# Long Lang Users, How many Frames Should I Plan For?



## drlonzo (Apr 15, 2014)

I have seven of them. All are deep frame boxes that are 35.5 inches on the inside and holds 24 frames w an internal one gallon feeder. Got them all set up with four separate one inch openings that have entrance disks on them. I can easily take a full grown hive and set a divider board in and break it into several hives. Up to four 5 frame nucs in fact all with separate lids.


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## Muddy Goat (Mar 27, 2015)

Thanks for the response! With 24 frames, do you ever feel like the bees are taking up all the space? Any worries about swarming? It will be my first hive, and I only plan on having a hive or two in the backyard, so raising nucs and splitting hives isn't my aim. I'd like the hive to build up in the Spring, but scale back down in the Fall/Winter.


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## Montyb (May 27, 2013)

Built mine to hold 32. But don't see any way to let it get that full. Extracting honey as they fill frames but leaving enough for them to winter on


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## Sovek (Apr 27, 2014)

I've found when building horizontal hives you may need to compromise on x number of frames vs more money that winds up being scrap wood because you needed another couple of inches. I'm using 16 frame, 2ft langs. This is done because I can buy a 1x12x8 for $13 and it makes one hive with minimal scrap wood. It can also be split evenly at 8 frame nucs. Once I get some actual honey production going, I'm gonna have to make a choice, 45" (roughly) or keep my current 23" (ID) hives and just stack and 8 frame super. The problem with this is that if I have to get into the brood nest I have to pull that super. 

With that said... You run the risk of a package actually swarming in june/july if you dont add space. I'm actually worried about mine swarming on me before I split them into nucs somewhere next month. I have 1 16 frame running now started from a 3# package at the very end of march. Even after donating brood AND bees to a failing package (which was absolutely the right call), I'm still worried about them swarming because I dont have an 8 frame super (well... I do but again, its a matter of compromise)

On my 4ft hive, the only difference I'd make is a bottom entrance. Sometime this week I'm gonna take a picture to show you why. Suffice it say there was alot of wax chips/debris falling to the bottom the hive that the bees were ignoring. I dont get that when my entrance is like that of a typical lang.


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## Sovek (Apr 27, 2014)

double post. please delete.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Mine are 48 3/4" long and three standard migratory covers work on them. 48" would probably be easier. That's about 33 frames or so.


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