Horizontal hives with frames are becoming increasingly popular in Europe and North America.

One of these is the golden hive or Einraumbeute, developed at Mellifera Association in Germany, based on Dadant-size frames rotated ninety degrees. The resulting deep format allows for a vertically uninterrupted brood nest and a deep honey crown that is good for wintering. This book describes modifications to the golden hive to buffer the colony against heat/cold extremes as does a tree cavity. With the help of many pictures, details are given of how to make the hive, followed by highlights of running it untreated for varroa over six seasons. A few other modified golden hive projects are also mentioned.

About the author

After retiring from research biochemistry to north-west Wales, David Heaf took up hobby beekeeping in 2003. He runs about 10 colonies in Warré hives and several in other hive types. In 2010, Northern Bee Books published his book The Bee Friendly Beekeeper and again invited him to write two other books, Natural Beekeeping with the Warré Hive - A Manual and Treatment-Free Beekeeping, (IBRA & NBB) which they published in 2013 and 2021 respectively.