16x10 Hives

[Ely]

I've been folllowing advice on this forum for a long while now. Just recently it dawned on me that I was following advice more than likely meant for standard national brood boxes and not 16x10 that I have.

I've read that as a rule of thumb you should super with around 6 frames of brood on standard national. What would be the equivelent on 16x10?

One of my hives last year was a swarm build up to go into winter. It had kingspan nown the sides inside the hive to reduce the amount of space for them to keep warm. This Spring they are now over 6 frames of brood where my established colony is only over 3. mSo that insulation has helped them tenfold. I was wondering, I never saw the established colony use all 11 frames for brood before it started wanting to swarm. What would your opinions be on just keeping around 8 16x10 frames in the hive and having perminant kingspan insulation down the sides? Do they need all 11 frames? It seems excessive to me

 

[drex]

I super up when the hive has about 75% brood. I should think this would apply to any size hive.

Basically give them the space they need. You never know what that will be. Already 3 of mine are on brood and a half and one is on double brood, the decision was based on speed of build up and number of bees thus far.

Will you be using nationals as supers or continue with commercial? Commercial are more room to heat and will be heavier to lift. Thinking I might go to commercial BB's next year and continue with my National supers.

Who knows how long this warm spell will last? I continue to have top insulation on.

 

[Ely]

I'll carry on using my commercial brood boxes, I have national supers. I'd like to go Langstroth poly eventually though

 

[drstitson]

"I've read that as a rule of thumb you should super with around 6 frames of brood on standard national"

not sure where you picked that up - PH has repeatedly stressed 8+ frames over the last few months.

 

[george]

Only one sure fire way to find out and thats try it . I would suggest sticking with tradition and filling it out with frames though . You will find she will fill most of the brood box quite easily , assuming you have a decent queen .
The outer most frames may be used for stores rather than laying but this means it will carry some weight in to next Winter .
The fact that your one swarmed on a lesser number of frames is down to the queen rather than the hive shape or size .

 

[Ely]

You don't really need to take top insulation off at all.

 

[BeeJayBee]

We were discussing this at the weekend. It's the size of the colony relative to the size of the box they live in.

I don't know about 16x10 but Lang Jumbo, which we've got, are about the same size. As far as I know most people run them with 9 frames +dummy board to make it easier to remove frames, and super at around 7 or 8 frames of brood.

I'd keep the insulation on, it'll help stop the heat from the metal roof overheating the top of the hive. It means less work for the bees.

 

[Ely]

Oh yeh, I wouldn't remove roof insulation. Ok 8 frames of brood sounds about right to super then. I obviously got my numbers mixed up when I mentioned 6. I have an awful memory. Find myself using a notepad more and more for simple things.

I took the side insulation out of the hive and replaced it with new foundation frames in the hive with 6 frames brood.

Found too much stores in the hive that has brood over 3 frames so I swapped some of the new frames from the other with the food surplus from this one. Come to think of it, it may have been the surplus frames of food that have limited the brood to 3 frames. There was empty comb on the furthest frames but they obviously wouldn't want to use that with the food seperating the main brood nest. Waddia reckon?

 

[MJBee]

I run my Commercial broods with 11 frames and a thin dummy board to stop them making brace comb in the half frame space remaining. I super on 7 or 8 frames (both sides) of brood, and use National supers.

 

[susbees]

I run my Commercial broods with 11 frames and a thin dummy board to stop them making brace comb in the half frame space remaining. I super on 7 or 8 frames (both sides) of brood, and use National supers.

What he said . Super on 7 or 8 double sides of brood. 11 and a dummy on the 16 x 12 brood box.

 

[Ely]

Great stuff, thanks for help