Dartington Long Deep Hive: An In-depth Exploration

The Dartington Long Deep Hive is a unique and innovative approach to beekeeping, designed to address specific challenges faced by beekeepers. Developed by Robin Dartington in the mid-1970s, this hive was crafted to minimize the difficulties of beekeeping in constrained spaces, such as the roof of a five-story house. The hive’s design is a testament to its adaptability and efficiency, making it a favorite among both hobbyists and professionals.

Key Takeaways:

The Dartington Long Deep Hive was pioneered by Robin Dartington in the 1970s.
It is essentially a Deep National hive with a back extension.
The design minimizes labor and reduces heavy lifting compared to conventional National hives.
It offers a comprehensive system for recreational beekeeping, ensuring safety and enjoyment.
The hive is aesthetically pleasing and can enhance the beauty of gardens.

History and Development
Design and Features
Benefits of the Dartington Hive
Comparison with Other Hives
The Dartington Long Deep Hive
Dartington Long Deep Hive: A Deeper Dive
The Design Philosophy
The Brood Box and Honey Boxes
Swarm Management and Queen Rearing
Community Feedback and Adaptations
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

History and Development

The Genesis of the Dartington Hive

Robin Dartington’s journey into the world of beekeeping was marked by challenges. Living in a multi-story residence, he faced the dilemma of managing bees in a restricted space. This led him to innovate and design the Dartington Long Deep Hive around 1975. The hive’s primary objective was to eliminate the need for an extra hive when creating an artificial swarm.

Evolution Over the Years

Over the years, the Dartington hive has evolved, integrating features that cater to the recreational beekeeper. The hive system now prioritizes safety, ensuring that both the beekeeper and neighbors are not at risk. Moreover, the hive’s design has been refined to be visually appealing, making it a valuable addition to gardens.

Design and Features

The Core Structure

At its core, the Dartington Long Deep Hive is an extended version of the Deep National hive. This extension at the back eliminates the need for an additional hive, especially when beekeepers need to create an artificial swarm.

Aesthetic and Functional Appeal

One of the standout features of the Dartington hive is its aesthetic appeal. Not only is it functional, but it also enhances the beauty of gardens. Beekeepers no longer need to have miscellaneous items like odd stands or rarely used nucleus hives cluttering their space. The Dartington Long Deep Hive encompasses all the necessary features and space to manage a bee colony throughout the season without the need for extra boxes.

Benefits of the Dartington Hive

Minimized Labor and Lifting

The Dartington hive is designed to reduce the physical strain on beekeepers. Traditional hives often require heavy lifting, but the Dartington’s design more than halves this effort. This makes it especially beneficial for beekeepers who might find the lifting in conventional methods challenging.

Safety First

Safety is paramount in the Dartington hive design. Whether it’s the beekeeper or the neighbors, the hive ensures that everyone’s safety is prioritized. Moreover, its management approach reliably prevents the issue of swarms, a common challenge in beekeeping.

Comparison with Other Hives

When compared to other hives, the Dartington stands out for its unique design and features. While the conventional National hive serves its purpose, the Dartington offers an extended space, reducing the need for additional hives. This not only saves space but also reduces the overall costs for beekeepers.

For more insights on the Dartington hive and its comparison with other hives, you can explore this link.

The Dartington Long Deep Hive

The Dartington Long Deep Hive is an innovative approach to beekeeping, pioneered by Robin Dartington. The hive is designed to work in harmony with the natural development of a bee colony. Here are some key insights from the content:

Overview and Design: Robin Dartington, with over 25 years of beekeeping experience, has developed the Dartington Long Deep Hive (LDH) with the aim of making beekeeping safer and more enjoyable for hobbyists. The design of the hive takes into consideration the ergonomics and safety of lifting weights, ensuring that the maximum weight lifted during honey-box manipulations is about 16 lbs (8 kilos). The hive is not entirely new; it combines ancient principles of hive construction with a deep understanding of bee colony development.
Benefits and Features: The Dartington Hive is designed primarily for home hobbyists and not for commercial use. It offers several variations, including specialized hives for queen rearing, migratory beekeeping, and different apiary settings. One of the main advantages of the Dartington Hive is its ease of use. Inspections are less disruptive to the bees, making the beekeeping experience more enjoyable. The hive also allows for easy division of the colony, facilitating queen rearing and significantly reducing swarming.
Community Feedback: The discussion on the forum indicates that beekeepers have had varied experiences with the Dartington Hive. Some find it similar to other hive designs they’ve encountered, while others appreciate its unique features. The hive’s design, which allows for horizontal movement of frames, makes inspections less intrusive and more efficient. Additionally, the hive’s ability to easily split and recombine colonies is seen as a breakthrough in managing swarming.

Dartington Long Deep Hive: A Deeper Dive

The Dartington Long Deep Hive (LDH) is a unique approach to beekeeping that has been developed with the beekeeper’s experience in mind. This hive design, while not entirely new, combines ancient principles of hive construction with a deep understanding of bee colony development. Let’s delve deeper into the intricacies of this hive and its benefits.

The Design Philosophy

Robin Dartington, the pioneer behind the Dartington Long Deep Hive, has always emphasized that there’s nothing ‘new’ about the LDH. He has merely amalgamated some very ancient principles of hive construction. The design starts with the ergonomics and safety of lifting weights. The maximum weight anyone ever has to lift during honey-box manipulations is about 16 lbs (8 kilos). This ensures that beekeeping remains a joy and not a chore, especially for hobbyists.

The Brood Box and Honey Boxes

The Dartington Hive uses the ‘long deep’ variant of the British Standard frame, which measures 14″ by 12″. The supers, or honey boxes, are placed on top of the hive body. However, they are only half the size of a typical super, containing just 5 frames for honey in each ‘honey box’. Four honey boxes fit on top of the hive body, and the roof covers them all.

This design ensures that the beekeeper can inspect the entire brood nest on a single level without having to remove one brood box from the top of another. Frames are moved horizontally, allowing for a thorough inspection of the entire colony with minimal disturbance.

Swarm Management and Queen Rearing

One of the standout features of the Dartington Hive is its ability to easily split and recombine colonies. This is achieved by inserting a vertical divider and then opening a second entrance at the back of the hive. This design innovation makes queen rearing straightforward and reduces swarming to virtually nil.

Community Feedback and Adaptations

The Dartington Hive has received varied feedback from the beekeeping community. While some beekeepers find it similar to other hive designs, many appreciate its unique features. The hive’s design, which allows for horizontal movement of frames, makes inspections less intrusive and more efficient. Moreover, the hive’s ability to easily split and recombine colonies is seen as a significant advancement in managing swarming.

Dave Cushman’s Take on Long Hives – A detailed exploration of long hives and their variants.
Grossmann’s Hive Analysis – A beekeeper’s perspective on the Dartington Hive.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How does the Dartington Hive differ from traditional hives?

The Dartington Hive is designed for horizontal frame movement, allowing beekeepers to inspect the entire colony without lifting heavy boxes. Its design also facilitates easy colony splitting and recombining, aiding in swarm management and queen rearing.

2. Is the Dartington Hive suitable for commercial beekeeping?

While the Dartington Hive offers numerous benefits, it has been primarily designed with the home hobbyist in mind. Its design might not be optimal for large-scale commercial operations.

3. How does the Dartington Hive help in reducing swarming?

The hive’s design allows for easy division of the colony by inserting a vertical divider. This, combined with the opening of a second entrance at the back, simulates the conditions of a swarm, reducing the actual occurrence of swarming.