Subject: Anyone have Modified Dadant plans ?

From: Chris Parker <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 30 Nov 1996 17:26:30 +0000

I'm trying to find plans to construct a "Modified Dadant" Hive.

Can anyone help me, or tell me where I can find these ?

I've just been to the National Honey Show in London, but was unable to
locate any plans there !

thanks

Chris

---

From: [email-masked] (Joel Govostes)
Date: Sat, 30 Nov 1996 15:10:54 -0500

> I've just been to the National Honey Show in London, but was unable to

In the 60's or early 70's Francis Smith wrote a couple of books which were
beekeeping manuals for the tropics.  He was working in what is now
Tanzania, I believe.  Anyway, the title is BEEKEEPING IN THE TROPICS on
both, though one edition is more extensive.  I'm thinking they were
published in UK and so may be available at your local library.

Dr. Smith (please, anyone, correct me if I have the author confused)
recommended the Modified Dadant hive emphatically.  The dimensions and
detailed drawings of its design and construction are included in those
books.  Note, however, that he changed the brood frame spacing to 1 3/8"
(center-center) for the African bees.  With European bees the standard
frame spacing in a M.D. hive is 1.5" on centers.

The books also include dimensions, drawings, etc. for the 6 5/8" honey
super with Manley closed-end frames, to be used above the M.D. brood box.

The M.D. is advantageous in that the entire colony is in one big box which
can conveniently be transported.  The broad and deep combs allow the queen
to maintain a compact, unbroken brood pattern.  The management of such a
colony is thus considerably simplified over multiple-brood-box systems. 
Smith illustrates well the management required with both methods, with
cross-sectional colony diagrams.

Good luck,   JWG