Changing to 14x12

[Honeypi]

I'm hoping to expand one of my hives to 14x12 this season but am left scratching my head as to how I can do this. If I were to move a few frames over, as with a normal split, they would surely end up building several inches of fragile brace comb under those frames. Is there any way to avoid this?

Thanks

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[nantmoel]

We are move all ours to the bigger frame, we are going to move the frames as soon as the weather warms up and replace a few at a time, if the build comb under the older smaller ones then I'm not really worried. It will take a few months I would have thought to get them all on the larger frames throughout the summer. We have one hive on 14x12, so we will also use this to make a Nuc up.

 

[Millet]

I'm sure i have seen extensions that can clip on the bottom of the existing frames, but i don't know much else about them.

 

[Millet]

I have just found this picture.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If I were to move a few frames over, as with a normal split, they would surely end up building several inches of fragile brace comb under those frames. Is there any way to avoid this?

It's not that 'fragile' no different than putting a shallow frame in a deep national for drone/mite trapping. Redwood has done all his conversion like that with no problems - just work out the standard deep frames to the sides ASAP and you will have no problems - keep it simple.

 

[Davelin]

I made some extensions like those in Millets pics a few years ago, but wouldn't bother if I were doing it again now.

You could consider a Bailey frame change or a shook swarm as another way of doing it.

 

[domino]

Why not just put a 12x14 box on the top and let them move up?

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Just do a version of a Bailey Comb Exchange.

After 3 weeks, remove the 'deep' brood box.
Then you have only one 'deep' frame in the 14 X 12 brood box, to work to the end of the box over the season.

Indeed, there is the added bonus that the bees will create drone comb on that frame - which you can cull as part of your anti-varroa IPM.

Easy, really.

Dusty

 

[snelgrove]

I converted alot of standard national to 14 x12, simply super with new 14 x12 brood box when queen lays in 14 x12 place excluder underneath, later reverse boxes.

 

[nantmoel]

I converted alot of standard national to 14 x12, simply super with new 14 x12 brood box when queen lays in 14 x12 place excluder underneath, later reverse boxes.

That sounds like a great idea, we can do this when things get going.

 

[Honeypi]

Thanks for the replies, sounds simple when you know how! I'll be giving this a go in a few months.

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