Brood Box Castellations

[Michael Palmer]

When eating fried chicken, my mother used to say, "God made fingers before forks". I would say, God made fingers before castellations.

Horrid things. Knuckle busters. I bought a bunch of Canadian Langstroth brood boxes. All had castellations. After years of fighting with them, I ripped them out of my operation. Ahhhh!!

 

[masterBK]

I have used Hoffmans for several decades and although my bees collect propolis (often at the entrance) I find that if the contact surfaces on the frames and the runners are vaselined, the frames kept tight and a dummy board used I don't find the build up of propolis on the frame contact points. Metal and plastic ends are a real pain and when I used them I found they got heavily propolised. Castellations are great for tearing your nitrile gloves and cutting into your skin (there will be blood). Can slide several Hoffman frames (all of them) along the runners in one go which saves time when closing up the broodchamber (can't do that with plastic ends or castellations). I like to spend no more that 2 minutes on routine inspections.

 

[Poly Hive]

I could not agree more, a total PIA.

I hate them almost as much as I hated tin plate spacers, now they were sharp!

PH

 

[Beefriendly]

I could not agree more, a total PIA.

I hate them almost as much as I hated tin plate spacers, now they were sharp!

PH

Do you mean Yorkshire spacers...like these.
I still have a box of them somewhere....

Actually this picture has it wrong. They were historically used by the "Heather Honey" seekers and where attached near the bottom of already spaced frame to prevent the frames jiggling around on the rough tracks to the moors. Remember they were using horse and (not very well sprung) cart in t'good owl days. Or so the tales I was told tell.

 

[domino]

I like this thread. I was toying with putting them in supers.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I like this thread. I was toying with putting them in supers.

That is where we use them, all shallow national honey supers are ten space castellated with sn1 frames all unwired.

 

[domino]

That is where we use them, all shallow national honey supers are ten space castellated with sn1 frames all unwired.

Cool, I was thinking fewer but fatter super frames.

I guess as you aren't pulling those frames on every inspection they aren't as troublesome as having them in the brood boxes?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Cool, I was thinking fewer but fatter super frames.

I guess as you aren't pulling those frames on every inspection they aren't as troublesome as having them in the brood boxes?

Wider spacing is okay as long as your using drawn combs.

Generally the only time the combs are moved around are when they are removed for extracting.