This is the best hive. I use it in Florida and helps bees regulate temperature better. Less bees fanning to regulate hive temps means more bees foraging.
The bottom boards are amazing. The easy entrance reducer, the screen and bottom tray are also a touch of genius. To combat hive beetles, which are a huge problem here, I fill the trays with diatomaceous earth and it’s a hive beetle massacre.
These hives have made all my colonies stronger. The vents are great on top to help the bees fan off excess moisture, which makes better quality honey.
The hive boxes latching together is great to keep a hive together in, I don’t know, a hurricane, lol. Weathered 2 hurricanes so far without issue. I hear it’s handy for bears too, but don’t have that first hand experience. The ants are enough, thank you. Which brings me to my last point…
Spring for the dual feeder. It’s a better feeder, period. I have some hives with the standard split feeder and the gaps are too big between the bee entrance area and feeder cover. BIG problems with ants on these. The dual feeders have tighter seals and just do an all round better job at keeping pests out of your feed. After all, we aren’t making gallons of sugar water to raise ant colonies.