Dummy/follower boards

[Popparand]

Last year I ran my brood boxes with wall to wall frames but they get jammed in hard with propolis. So this year I want to reduce frames by one. I was going to add a dummy board, but on second thoughts a follower board might be better. So what do you use dummy boards for?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I use dummy boards for putting at one end of the box so that I can take it out making inspections easier for me and the bees with more room to take that first frame out. Simple
No need to block off the end completely with a follower board

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I use dummy boards for putting at one end of the box so that I can take it out making inspections easier for me and the bees with more room to take that first frame out. Simple
No need to block off the end completely with a follower board

just a plain piece of 355x250mm x 10 or 12mm plywood with a 10mm square piece as a top bar tacked on top

 

[Swarm]

I run mine on double brood but with partition frames to reduce space, depending on the requirements of each colony. That may be 8 over 8, 9 over 9, 10 over 9, etc. They like the vertical nest configuration and frames are easy to inspect, I remove the partition frame/s and then slide the dummy board back. If they need more room I'll remove a partition and add a frame of comb or foundation.
Partition frame is a normal deep frame with 1" recticel instead of foundation, I put these outside the dummy board which is made from a bit of thin ply. Make sure to cover cut edges of the recticel with foil tape first.

 

[thedozzer]

I use dummy boards for putting at one end of the box so that I can take it out making inspections easier for me and the bees with more room to take that first frame out. Simple
No need to block off the end completely with a follower board

just a plain piece of 355x250mm x 10 or 12mm plywood with a 10mm square piece as a top bar tacked on top

Same here, we have dummy boards in 14x12, we did use all the frames to begin with, but found that you rolled to many bees.
I had some 18mm ply, and as JB says, just tack a topbar on, job done.
One note, we had one side painted and one side plain wood, if the ply side was toward the brood chamber they loved building brace comb onto the next frame, if the painted side was toward the brood chamber they only lightly propolis it? don't ask me why, they are bees!

 

[Swarm]

A picture of the partition frame. This was a double nuc, too big for single, too small for double. They are now on sixteen frames, eight over eight.