Crown board

[ShinySideUp]

What stops bees from going onto the crown board and making combs there, it's warm, it's spacious, it seems ideal and yet it doesn't seem to happen much (or am I completely wrong here?).

 

[bjosephd]

I can't tell if you have hives from your profile.

The simple answer is, they do. Or they CAN do.

Unless you mean through/above a feeder hole between the crown board and the roof. But I've actually seen that happen too (not on my own hives). Unlucky though... but close up the hole. I stick a little bit of slate over the hole.

It's all got to do with 'bee space' at the end of the day...

Dave gives some clarity as always...

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/bsp.html

 

[ShinySideUp]

I can't tell if you have hives from your profile.

The simple answer is, they do. Or they CAN do.

Unless you mean through/above a feeder hole between the crown board and the roof. But I've actually seen that happen too (not on my own hives). Unlucky though... but close up the hole. I stick a little bit of slate over the hole.

It's all got to do with 'bee space' at the end of the day...

Dave gives some clarity as always...

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/bsp.html

I have hives but no bees. My first year is about to start and although I am doing a bee course, every now and again a question just pops into my mind that may or may not be very silly and I can't easily find a previous answer on established forums and websites. The link to David Cushman is much appreciated, I can learn a lot there without bothering you chaps with silly questions.

 

[bjosephd]

Ask away my friend... it's a forum after all.

I've been beekeeping a couple of years so still much to learn.


Read and ask and read and ask and read and ask...

What hive's ya got?

 

[ShinySideUp]

I have two National 14 x 12 with two supers for each. I also bought a poly nuc, just in case. I have set up one hive ready to go in case a passing swarm decides to take an interest but in April, when my supplier is ready, I have a colony coming with a marked queen.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I have two National 14 x 12 with two supers for each. I also bought a poly nuc, just in case. I have set up one hive ready to go in case a passing swarm decides to take an interest but in April, when my supplier is ready, I have a colony coming with a marked queen.

Glad to see you are starting with the extra room a 14 x 12 gives you. I started with a 14 x 12 nuc of Buckfast type and it all grew from there. I do have a couple of standard national deep boxes which I use for hiving swarms or taking splits that I establish as healthy, working colonies before moving them onto beeks wanting bees.

 

[Erichalfbee]

What stops bees from going onto the crown board and making combs there, it's warm, it's spacious, it seems ideal and yet it doesn't seem to happen much (or am I completely wrong here?).

The beekeeper does
There is no reason to have the feeder/escape holes open.

 

[taurus]

The beekeeper does
There is no reason to have the feeder/escape holes open.

Whahoo! I got something right!

 

[Little John]

The beekeeper does
There is no reason to have the feeder/escape holes open.

Correct - that's why the top bee-space (arguably the most important of the bee-spaces) between top bar and crown board needs to be correct.

The only time holes in the crown board are left open is either when (say) an inverted-jar syrup-feeder (with no access) is placed over them, or when - during cold weather - a container with solid feed is placed over them. At such times it's far too cold to draw comb inside the feed container, so they don't.

The only exception to this is if you should place a well-known design of rapid feeder (the type with a central access cavity) over a crown board hole during early autumn, at a time when it IS still warm enough to draw comb. And they can indeed proceed to draw comb inside that cavity - precisely for the reasons being suggested. Which is why the one rapid feeder of that design I once tested went straight into the bin.
LJ

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The beekeeper does
There is no reason to have the feeder/escape holes open.

The only time you should have open holes in a crownboard is if you have a feeder on top.

 

[REDWOOD]

Some commercially sold crown boards I have seen have a bigger rim than 6 mm that will allow bees to build brace comb. Keep it to 6 mm and there is a minimal chance this will happen.

 

[For want of a better word]

I trust your supplier is offering mentoring as well... do not put the supers on until the nuc on 6 frames has occupied the other 5 as with 14 x 12 you will have a lot of room for the bees initially... also ask your supplier to clip the queen for you.. may save a problem later in the season!
Yeghes da