Benifits of Top space versus Bottom Space

[sherwood]

I will start by saying I use top space both on my commercials and nationals. Besides the fact that I find it easier to do practical beekeeping with top space I find I tend to damage and crush less bees with Top space, however there are a few extra benifits to be considered especially if you make your own hives.
1 when assembling a national hive you dont have to fiddle with aligning the the four walls, the four sides can be flush with the bottom surface.
2 Your bottom rails do not require a rebate
3 Crown boards only require a bee space on the one side doing away with 4 bits of wood.

Any other observations folks

 

[madasafish]

Feeding fondant in winter far easier with top bee space.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Crown boards only NEED a Beespace on one side regardless of whether top or bottom beespace

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[REDWOOD]

Technically with bottom bees space you have top bee space too, hence the rim on your crown board.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Yes, but you only NEED a rim on one side of bottom beespace Crown boards and none on top beespace

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[REDWOOD]

Yes, but you only NEED a rim on one side of bottom beespace Crown boards and none on top beespace

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[Swarm]

It depends what you want to do, I've used BBS and TBS and there are + and - for both. I prefer TBS and yes, crownboards don't require any beespace, mine are just sheets of ply.

 

[REDWOOD]

Before I started beekeeping I asked the same question to a reputable beekeepers and he asked me what part of the country do I live and his next reply was bottom bee space. To this day I cannot find a reasonable explanation for his answer only he was trying to be clever or something.

 

[Finman]

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I think, that I make a fixed border around the inner cover. 4 mm plywood would be good. Too small gap is a nuisance.

 

[Erichalfbee]

QXs get propolised less with TBS

 

[Motobiman]

Doesn't seem much wrong with both, the bees don't seem to mind either.

 

[Finman]

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I think that lower space is needed, when you put the box onto floor. Then frames do not touch the floor.

 

[Fusion_power]

There is no absolute answer, but there are a couple of ways to figure which works for you.

Here in the U.S., migratory tops are popular. These tops require top bee space. Since I am using migratory tops, I use top bee space. If I were using inner covers and metal top covers, I would still use top bee space just because it causes the least difficulty.

It depends on the thickness of the lugs on frames. Mann Lake PF1xx frames have a thick lug which makes it sit roughly in the middle of the box leaving neither a full top nor a full bottom bee space. This is one reason I am discarding all PF1xx frames. Removing a cover from these frames can be quite an adventure after it is solidly attached by the bees.

The only other time top or bottom space is relevant is when slatted racks are used. Whichever space you use in the top has to be maintained by the slatted rack. Since I am using top space, I incorporate top space into my slatted racks.

 

[Finman]

Yes but there are much work outside the hive, when I move and store boxes.

 

[sherwood]

Technically with bottom bees space you have top bee space too, hence the rim on your crown board.

Redwood this wrong I am afraid beespace equates to 7-9mm of space and with bottom space you do not have this headroom

 

[REDWOOD]

Technically with bottom bees space you have top bee space too, hence the rim on your crown board.

Redwood this wrong I am afraid beespace equates to 7-9mm of space and with bottom space you do not have this headroom

this space is not a full beespace but....a space nevertheless which bees can move from frame to frame, a full bee space is only really needed between frames.