Beesy frames

[wightbees]

I found some of these in a box I got from a auction. Never really thought much of them until I found some info on cush man site and then looked them up on line! Seems they still making them too. Anyone tried them?

 

[enrico]

Never seen or heard of them before but to be honest they look rather handy, especially if you were starting up. I have enough frames made not to need them but for ease and speed they look useful.
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[Newbeeneil]

I've just ordered a set to see if they would be useful for making up small frames for mini nucs.............

 

[wightbees]

I too have loads of frames and thousands not even made up yet lol... Do like the look of those though for simplicity.

 

[Madge]

I looked at their website, and the tag line says, “... reduce the effect of ... propolis ...”. How do these little snap-on joints manage that?

 

[madasafish]

I have some. Great for making frames for mini nucs..

 

[3bees]

The ones I had were a composite material - don't use them in a steam wax extractor!!

 

[Helen]

I use these for supers.

Several issues though.

1. Using MDF for bars - the tiny 'tabs' that need to be created in the ends of the wooden battens - which snap into the plastic to hold plastic to wood, can easily tear off and so pop the wood from the fitting. Same happens with ply. Solution - need to use glue to hold bars into plastic fitting. Makes re-use difficult.

2. I found that the side bar often pulled away from the bottom bar, in the honey extractor. Always the bottom one so maybe the frame holder in the extractor is at fault. Solution - need to use glue to hold bars into plastic fittings.

3. For 14x12 frames, MDF bends too much under the weight when filled. Solution - don't use for these. I only use them for supers now.

Advantages are that frames are v easy to build, although creating the wooden battens is tedious. Also, bees don't propolise the plastic frames to the wooden supers. So easy to remove.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

stick to wood - renewable resource, no plastics and no cyanides used in production

 

[Millet]

I aint no brain surgeon but i would hate too see the mess if one of them little plastic thing's decided to snap/break..not for me i am afraid.

 

[Helen]

i would hate too see the mess if one of them little plastic thing's decided to snap/break..

Never had any plastic parts of the beesey frames break on me. Seems very robust to me. The main downside is the tiny 'tab' cut into the end of each wooden batten, which allows it to snap into the plastic. On MDF/Ply, this 'tab' is easily ripped off, loosening the lock. Hence glue is required.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Looks like something invented by someone who discovered/invented a problem where there wasn't one.

 

[madasafish]

I use plywood rather than MDF. Never had any break on me unlike wooden top bars..

As for plastics in hives as an issue, I hope those against plastic don't use plastic feeders, plastic queen cages or plastic containers to store /ripen honey in... Because if they do, they are seriously conflicted.