Beehive Frame Comparison: Langstroth vs. Layens vs. Lazutin 

I enjoyed this presentation, gave me lots of ideas on how to improve my hive designs. Thanks for the inspiration.

This was very helpful! Thanks for taking the time to explain it

Very good explanation. Informative, thanks for sharing.

Great job I liked your video keep up the good work.

I live in a northern climate so the horizontal hive may be something I may need to do in the future. Thanks for breaking this down. I have always appreciated Dr Leo and his information for beekeeping. Thanks for sharing.

Lots of questions answered that I had thanks!

Thank you! This was very helpful.

Nice video. Thanks.

I stubbled across your video. I too have been reading Keeping Bees with a Smile (2nd edition) and I was wondering why Dr. Leo used a smaller Layens Frame than the Lazutin (or double deep Lanstroth) Frame. Thank you for adding that nugget of information. I live in Northern Idaho and Dr. Leo felt that the Layens frame would be suitable where I live since winter typically runs from mid to late Nov to March.

Very interesting 👍🥰 tremendous stuff, thanks from central Otago southern New Zealand 👋🥝

Nice video explaining the differences. Another difference is the Langstroth frames are easier to top feed than Layens. You can use frame feeder in Layens but that means opening hive. Dr. Leo says you shouldn't need to feed bees. I have 3 Layens and 3 horizontal Langstroth hives, both work. Now thinking of switching all to Layens.

love it. Can you share your build/design plans for the horizontal hives you build ?

Bonjour, je suis de France et je suis heureux que la ruche de layens revienne à la mode. Personnellement j'utilise des ruches Voirnot qui sont adaptées à ma région, des ruches warré avec cadres et une nouvelle ruche einraumbeute qui vient d'allemagne qui ressemble dans sa conduite à la de layens horizontale. Merci pour vos vidéos même si j'ai du mal à suivre l' anglais.

Some very interesting comments.

Great Info as always my friend. :)) Was just asked today to do a presentation on the 6th on the Layens, in Canada, so a bit colder up in the North. lol Anyway, I'm going to record the presentation, so others can learn, about the benfits of the Layens for the cold Canadian climate, will pass on the link once I have it uploaded so you can share it, for anyone following you that lives in a colder climate. Not a lot of difference in the base construction but insulated with the sheep's wool makes all the difference in the cold and can help with the heat for you guys that are down south. Anyway my friend keep them coming, information and knowledge are great but you have a talent of explaining the why you want to do it this way, and that is what people need to get is the why. :))))

Hello. I just found your channel and am so glad I did. I truly believe in longer frames. All my hives are double deep Flow Hives, which are Cedar Langstroths, yet which house Fran’s that are 18.5” deep!!!!!

I have been on the fence when it comes to what hives to buy. I watched this and now have a honey dew list for the husband to make the layens hive. Thank you so much for the info

25 years keeping bees. I never had a colony die or starve because they couldn’t cross over from a bottom frame to the top frame. This would only happen if the cluster was small. As for the Layens hive. I’m converting over because of aging joints. A great way for beekeepers to keep their hobby.

I’m in Wisconsin, really thinking about going with Lazutin frames

I really like the larger Frames for the bees 🐝.

Loved this, thank you! How many frames do you recommend buying or building a Layens hive to hold? Would be nice to be able to do splits in one box like you’re doing but what happens when they both expand, will a 20 frame hold 2 colonies or is better to go bigger.

another good video. I think Dr Leo is in Douglas co. Are you near there?

I just built a Langstroth horizontal hive and I live in North Idaho and finished it look at it and thought this ain't gonna work. Keep in mind I have my first two nuc's coming. I too have the book keeping bees with a smile. The bees I ordered are coming on 5 Langstroth deeps nine inch. I have one horizontal hive made from the book. I thought if I build another that fits Langstroth I can just put the frames in and be good. But no I see it's a hive for the south with no sub zero temps. looking to modify it to have a hybread frame. I'm trying to understand the gap and why it is what it is and to make things workout. I'm glad I found you channel. I'm looked and the horizontal have as I'm bent and broke from construction. and want to have bees on the homestead. A friend called me a dirt worshiper. i'm going to have to make a modification to the frames to get them into my one hive box.

Very informative explanation of hive design pros and cons. Your video was timed just right for me. I am in the planning stage of building hives. My biggest concern was how to over winter the bees here in north west Ohio. I believe the Layens design will work well in this area. Have you captured any wild colonies?

Question saw your video on the deep frames is there a special processes for extracting honey from these long frames thanks

I have top bar hives. Some with shallow comb and some with deeper comb. Ones with deeper comb survived winter in Wisconsin. I got rid if the ones with shallow combs. I would have layens, but I can't lift the frames.

Ironically this video pushed me closer to building a long lang. Winter isn't a big issue in South Florida.

Wonderfully explained. Answered a LOT of my questions. One more inquiry though......Does Florida need the deepness of a Layens do you think? Or do you think the bees would be ok with the shallower Langstroth.? It's "winter" right now here and I'm wear a T-shirt and sandals as we speak.

I found your explanation clearly delivered - thank you. Hope you will entertain my questions re. Layens hive. How have you overcome the non-standard frame size for honey processing? Do you think this style of hive will suit a temperate climate (climate zone 6)? One of the appealing aspects of the proportion of the frame is that it provides beekeepers a clear visual demonstration of the composition of the nest over the season. All the best, From Melbourne Australia ❤

Can you buy a Nuk of bees Langstroth and force them in a layens hive ? I saw Dr. Leo cut and screw the Langstroth to the layens frames but was wondering if theres a easier way as a beginner...

If there are no honey supers on this how would you exclude the queen on a horizontal to make honey. I thought that was functionally necessary.

Thank you for comparing frame size and the why of the sizes. However I have a question you might be able to answer, at least your opinion. I live in East Texas my winters are not cold for long typically. It is very normal in the winter months to have a few days in a row with temps in the mid fifties to mid upper sixties during the day. Do the bees break cluster and go for the honey stores on the outer frames? Im asking this question because I want to get back into bee keeping and I do have shoulder and wrist problems. And I feel that the Lanstroth frame would fit my needs, but not sure if they would fit the bees needs. What are your thoughts on this? Also it’s difficult to lift more than fifteen lbs above nipple line for me.

Could you tell me the ideal size hive for a Laynes hive. Dr. Leo talks about a 14 frame hive a lot but I want to make sure I have a big enough hive box for my area

I’ve built my Layens hive w 2 by wood and have a 2 “ gap for insulating my long walls. It’s a 4ft long unit for my homestead. Not finding wool so thoughts on fiberglass or cellulose? Also thoughts on air gap across bottom. Thx

I just use Lazutin in a six frame box and put six frame medium or deep supers on top. Six frame boxes are easy to handle for most people. The six frame Lazutin is less likely to swarm than a layens also.

Yes I want to use the Long hive but building different frames lor buying them is going to be a pain or expensive so is there a way to use my regular deep frames ?

I'm in central Texas. Could i use actual langstroth frames in a corresponding-size horizontal box?

I got the answer I was looking for you said it im a a new bee lots of stuff to learn

sorry for what most will consider a dumb question. but I am trying to learn how to be a great beekeeper (I do not yet have any) I noticed on the Lazutin frame you did not have the foundation to the bottom. Is this by design or just it was not added to the bottom? if by design, why?

I’m going to give a lazutin and layens hives this year. I’m on south central Idaho.

So few beekeepers on utube are into the Layens, but I'm a total convert having seen Dr. Leo set up, install bees, maintain, inspect and evaluate status on numerous Layens hives (I found all this on the offgrid w Doug and Stacey channel). It seems to be the best overall way to go, and too bad we in the U.S. are so invested in the Langstroth--suited to commercial guys with forklifts and a warm warehouse or relocation to warm climate over winter. Love your explanation and your evaluation. Too bad the Layens honey extractor is so pricey...

Very interesting, tell me about the Dadan hive.

We are switching from Langstroth to Layen horizontal hives. We have an abundance of brood frames. Can they be wired tied together - bottom to bottom (trimming and narrowing the top piece of wood now as the new bottom frame)? Will the bees build their brood comb continually from the top brood frame to the bottom brood frame? Is it possible to create a closed "top bar" effect by nailing a length of lath wood to the top piece of the newly created double brood frame?

Can you give me the dimensions for changing to the Layens I built a long hive using two double deep frames connected is an actually worked out very good so I’m going to use your idea and convert it to Layens hive

Hallo! In Spain they use the 12-frame layens hives and put some half or third frame boxes on top of that. I wonder how the bees can move if the frames are all together on the first level?

How and where do you put a queen excluder in that box?

no mods on the layens frame so it will fit in extractor?

You could give the kid credit for the frame if your going to show his work. The dowel center bar is a stout modification along with a sliding dovetail design

So how do you process layens? Thanks

Would have been nice to see some measurements.

I have watched a lot of house removals when bees are in the wall comb is built long ways to the studs then comd section cross to the other stud same as in the celling joist pretend the celling is a long hive how do they build in the celling they build long ways the comb sections right to left i seen lots of videos on the long hive instead of putting the frames in cross ways run the frames long way as they do in a celling istbein dofrestonen

Are bees more angry when in horizontal hives?

Lazutin bive produce more honey than any other time of hive in world?

I’ve never heard of a colony starving because they wouldn’t cross over from a bottom to top frame.

The Langstroth beehive have been in use for more than 160 years. It is the most used beehive design in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, etc. If you are having troubles with your bees it is not the fault of the Langstroth beehive. I respectfully disagree with your statement that Langstroth beehive cannot be used by old people. Some beekeepers stack their colonies up to 8 boxes, ah, and they are all deep boxes, not half frames as you mention. People that uses half frames for their honey supers are from areas that the nectar flow is very short so they would not end up with half capped honey frames. Also I don't agree that you have to lift the honey supers, well there is no need to go into the brood box/boxes during the nectar flow. So your statement of having to lift a bunch of honey supers is a null point. In nature bees always build up, like inside of a tree log. You may force the bees to go horizontally but it is not natural. And another disadvantage of a horizontal hive is that you are limited on how many honey frames your hive can produce. During the spring when beehives are growing and wanting to swarm if you have a Langstroth beehive all you do is tilt the box so you can see if there are any swarm cells, and that you cannot do with a horizontal hive. I have never seen a commercial beekeeper use a horizontal hive in his/hers bee yard. So if you want to experiment with horizontal hives I have no qualms with that, just don't demonize the Langstroth beehive that people have been using successfully for more than 160 years.

Looks like these are only for hobbits… They would never work at a commercial/migratory level

They won’t break cluster because they’re cold. Insulate your hives and see what happens. We’ve changed bees to make them better at what we want out of them. Honey. They have huge problems surviving in thin wood boxes when it gets cold. Plenty of studies proving this. Also we loose honey bees and we are fine. They’re very picky pollinators and hinder most others.

Listening to you is very difficult - Ten words where one will do... "Resource" is also called food.