converting frames

[justsmith]

Anyone got a good method of converting national to 14x12, just trying to draw up some plans for next year.

Looked in to a bailey board to help but is they any other methods which work well?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Shook swarm, working frames out and frame extensions all work.
Me, I just worked all frames out. If you start in spring a lot of the outside frames are empty anyway. Replace with foundation and feed

 

[pargyle]

Anyone got a good method of converting national to 14x12, just trying to draw up some plans for next year.

Looked in to a bailey board to help but is they any other methods which work well?

Just mix up 14 x 12 frames with the nationals in your new 14 x 12 hive(s) the bees will build comb on the bottom of the standard nationals and it will be pretty firm as it's not a huge amount. You can then just work these frames out over a period of time - I still have a couple of std national brood frames in my 14 x 12's that are at least 4 years old - I just treat them as normal frames - dosen't seem to bother the bees so why should it bother you ?

 

[REDWOOD]

Shook swarm, working frames out and frame extensions all work.
Me, I just worked all frames out. If you start in spring a lot of the outside frames are empty anyway. Replace with foundation and feed

 

[Poly Hive]

No need for all of the above.

Just put a sheet of ply over the Nat (with a hole!) and the other hive on top and let the bees work their way up. When she is laying up there put in an excluder and they will establish in the new box. Nice and gentle.

KISS

PH

 

[linoleum bonypart]

What use is the ply cover

 

[Poly Hive]

So it was not clear enough.

Over the box you are transferring from put the ply with the hole. Over that put the box you want them to go into.

Ok now?

PH

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

But why the ply? the OP is just changing from national deep to jumbo - same footprint, different depth - why over complicate things with a piece of ply? why b*gger about with an unneccesssary Bailey change to begin with?
KISS I say.
Pargyle Erichalfbee and Redwood had it covered, just leave them extend the deep frames downwards and work out the frames as the year goes on.

 

[Poly Hive]

In this instance none, was half awake when i posted.

In general though for changing from one size to another the principle stands.

PH

 

[drex]

all the suggestions given so far would achieve the desired result. Each to his own. We all have our favoured way of doing things. For the last year I have had a newcomer under my wing. I always tell him the way I do things, but also try to give him alternatives. I do not pour scorn on his way, if he tries an alternative route. That way we hopefully both learn something.

 

[mbc]

Lol hilarious thread.
First reply just about covered it

 

[nantmoel]

I did the conversion last season, just added the normal national frames in with the 14x12 ones, then slowly move them to the outside. Its surprising that when you mix n match the 14x12 frames how quick they draw them out, if there no flow on give them a feed. All the swarms I collected went straight onto 14x12 frames.