castellated frame spacers for sn1

[richiel100]

Optimistic question considering the weather but:

I need some spacers for supers, I have sn1 frames. I see that you can get 9,10 and 11 slot castellated spacers. Am I correct in thinking I only need 1 bee space between frames therefor to maximise potential honey crop i could use the 11 slot?

What are the pros and cons?

Many Thanks

 

[VEG]

11 slot will get you less honey as there will be more frames and wax in there. If you used 9/10 slot the bees would draw out the frames a little wider and fill them with more honey which then means less uncapping and less frames to handle.

 

[tonybloke]

9 slot for manleys, but I use 10 slot castellations in most of my supers, i do have a couple of supers with no castellations in, just runners. these I use to start the bees drawing foundation ( space by eye), to avoid uneven drawing of the wax.

 

[Swarm]

Well worth starting fresh foundation frames this way and moving to 10 once they've been drawn out.

 

[tonybloke]

Well worth starting fresh foundation frames this way and moving to 10 once they've been drawn out.

yay! someone agrees with me! LOL

 

[protheroe]

this is probably one of the few things ,that most people on this forum will agree on,but then again...........

 

[drstitson]

rather than having fixed spacing in supers you can get one set of each and use them to align the frames freehand from above.

 

[VEG]

If they dont have spacers or castellations in you can have big problems when moving the supers to wherever you extract as the bumping about will cause the combs to contact each other. Castellations are very good if you have to move the supers by car as they are held very firmly in place.

 

[Hivemaker.]

rather than having fixed spacing in supers you can get one set of each and use them to align the frames freehand from above.

Problem with that is they won't stay in place very well when moving hives or clearing supers with a blower.

But obviously fine if you move nothing around.

 

[VEG]

I will be giving the blower a go this year as I had quite a few bees left in the supers after using the clearer boards.

 

[Swarm]

If they dont have spacers or castellations in you can have big problems when moving the supers to wherever you extract as the bumping about will cause the combs to contact each other. Castellations are very good if you have to move the supers by car as they are held very firmly in place.

Once they've drawn foundation far enough, I add 10 slot. Frames secure for moving and transport.

 

[itma]

9 slot for manleys, but I use 10 slot castellations in most of my supers, i do have a couple of supers with no castellations in, just runners. these I use to start the bees drawing foundation ( space by eye), to avoid uneven drawing of the wax.

OK, I'm familiar with the idea of drawing the comb on SN1s with 11 frames in the National Super box, and reducing the number of frames to 10, and then potentially to 9 to fatten out each frame to the maximum.

But I thought that the standard way of using Manleys was to put 10 in the box, butted tight together - and then leave well alone.
I thought that Manleys were supposed to be self-spacing -- no castellations needed or helpful.

Are people generally using them with castellations, and putting 9 to a box?

 

[Bob Bee]

I do remember that the bees were often loath to start drawing a new super of foundation unless I put it on very narrow spacing to start. This time round I'm using the SN4 side bars and starting them in supers with runners and hope then to move them into the 10 space castalations. Just have to hope to have the right amount of the right kit at the right time. Spacers were a bit of a pain.

 

[masterBK]

10 slot spacing is same more or less as the spacing achieved using manley frames. If you use 10 slot there is no need to close space them to get them drawn as they will do it OK with that spacing without brace comb between them ie fit all your supers with 10 slot

 

[Bob Bee]

I'll suck it and see, not convinced that narrow spacing wont get started earlier, but might be wrong. I also need to start some frames with just starter strip (for cutting comb ) and think that that will also be started more tidily if I start with narrow spacing. It worked before but I'm open to being updated .

 

[itma]

... I also need to start some frames with just starter strip (for cutting comb ) and think that that will also be started more tidily if I start with narrow spacing. ...

And I had understood that Manleys really came into their own for cut comb ...

 

[YorkshireBees]

Personally (my way atm) is to get foundation drawn using 11 space then to move to 10 space and finally to 9 space as and when the comb is drawn nicely.

Having a 9 frame extractor may have influenced this decision and when I reach the objective of 9 frame in a super I will be able to extract 1 super in 1 extraction run.

At least that is my plan.

Another reason I starte using castellations in supers was that I found it much easier than spacers and as stated before the frames are held more securely during transport.

 

[Swarm]

10 slot spacing is same more or less as the spacing achieved using manley frames. If you use 10 slot there is no need to close space them to get them drawn as they will do it OK with that spacing without brace comb between them ie fit all your supers with 10 slot

That's what I used to do but some will draw ok where others just drew brace. Another alternative is foundation between comb.

 

[VEG]

Having a 9 frame extractor may have influenced this decision and when I reach the objective of 9 frame in a super I will be able to extract 1 super in 1 extraction run.

At least that is my plan.

.

Thats if the 9 frames are all capped in every super

 

[YorkshireBees]

Thats if the 9 frames are all capped in every super

Sure of course and during OSR ast year they were! No chance of that this year!

In my limited experience the bees will draw out the comb quite far and then the frames fit nicely into a 9 space castellation.

I have heard that some people use just 10 slots but we all have our preferred method.