Eke or super

[bump3r67]

Hi, what's the best for treating with apiguard?
I have been told that a super is too deep but the instructions say eke or super.

What are the pro's and con's of each?

Bump

 

[666bees]

An eke would be better as there is less space. Why not modify your crown board to give the extra space required for the apiguard.

 

[the naked beekeeper]

Anything wrong with just taking the cb off and leaving the treatment on top of the frames under the roof?

 

[busybee53]

There needs to be some space above the apiguard to allow the gel to work. About and inch or so.

 

[Busybee123]

Anything wrong with just taking the cb off and leaving the treatment on top of the frames under the roof?

If your roof is vented then you'd lose a fair bit of vapour out the vents.

It's easy enough to make a small eke out of a length of timber. I've used 32 x 12 mm planed timber from my local DIY shop. A screw or a nail or two at each corner is all you need.

 

[Skyhook]

If your roof is vented then you'd lose a fair bit of vapour out the vents.

It's easy enough to make a small eke out of a length of timber. I've used 32 x 12 mm planed timber from my local DIY shop. A screw or a nail or two at each corner is all you need.

although I suppose that you could gafa tape the vents up for the duration of the treatment.

 

[MuswellMetro]

Hi, what's the best for treating with apiguard?
I have been told that a super is too deep but the instructions say eke or super.

What are the pro's and con's of each?

Bump

see Apiquard leaflet FAQ 2, that says a spacer (eke) or preferabley an empty super

do i use a super , no, i use a 30 mm eke as i get less wild comb

 

[bump3r67]

Ok, an eke it is then.

Next question is what the devil is an eke. I know its a spacer for a hive but where did the word originate from. Just wondering

 

[oliver90owner]

eken - to increase is likely the origin.

 

[peteinwilts]

Anything wrong with just taking the cb off and leaving the treatment on top of the frames under the roof?

I tried this in my first year of beekeeping because it seemed like a good idea at the time.
A good flow was still coming in (the good ol' days!) and the put a large amount of brace comb between the frames and the roof. My roof is quite deep and could not twist the roof to break the frames. Most frames came out attached to the roof as one.
The end result was a lot of unhappy bees, and me kicking myself for not being more organised... not to be repeated!

 

[langdonphill]

Hi
This is my second year of beekeeping. I to did not know what an eke was.
Anyway, to cut a long story short. Get some two by one baton and cut four pieces to the length of each side of the hive. Screw them together at the longest ends and hey presto you have a two inch raise that can fit under the crown board. You can put your apiguard trays on the frames, put the eke on and the crown board on top. It gives sufficient space for the apiguard over the month of treatment.
Hope that helps

 

[oliver90owner]

cut four pieces to the length of each side of the hive.

If you do that you will be cutting again. Length of side less the thickness of the wood is the length to cut.

 

[MrB]

cut four pieces to the length of each side of the hive.

If you do that you will be cutting again. Length of side less the thickness of the wood is the length to cut.

 

[Busybee123]

eken - to increase is likely the origin.

Eken?????

Sounds more German than English!

I thought that the term "eke" came from the expression "to eke something out"

 

[oliver90owner]

As you say, that is an expression. It uses that word. The poster asked for the 'origin' of the term.

 

[alanf]

good word

Eken?????

Sounds more German than English!

I thought that the term "eke" came from the expression "to eke something out"

Norse, as in came over with the vikings. Used in English since Chaucer. Some dictionaries call it archaic but one of the joys of traditional crafts is that that keep these words in circulation.

EKE (1),*
to augment.* (E.)** M.E. eken, echen; 'these
fooles, that her sorrowes eche,' Chaucer, Troil. i. 705.—A.S.
écan, to augment; Grein, i. 229. + Icel. auka. + Swed.
öka. +
Dan. öge. + Goth. aukan (neuter). + O.H.G.
ouchón, auhhón. + Lat. augere
From 20th century etymology - searchable online.