Floor depth variations...

[bjosephd]

Who has experimented with significantly different floor depths?

Happened upon some timber. Handy for making floors.

Question is, if it had to be one or the other (as this is the wood I have got) would you make a floor with a depth of 37mm or 18mm.

And your reasons please.

For those who make their own floors what other depths have you experimented with with what results?


On another not I have a couple of hives with (purchased) slatted racks on which seem to work well.

...and the cleanest floor I ever had was a very very shallow solid floor with a top entrance - the bottom of the hive was totally sealed.

Anywho... let me know you're thoughts.

BJD

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

more depth, more brace comb, more mess.
with open mesh floors and underfloor entrances I have single bee space between bottom bars and floor.
Nucs with front entrances - double bee space

 

[Eyeman]

Some of mine are 18mm deep- like you I have some spare timber knocking around. You'll get some brace comb on the bottom bars- only really a problem if you are running double brood as you need to remember to remove that brace comb when moving frames into the upper box.

 

[Finman]

.
More free space , more drones, more mites

 

[bjosephd]

Some of mine are 18mm deep- like you I have some spare timber knocking around. You'll get some brace comb on the bottom bars- only really a problem if you are running double brood as you need to remember to remove that brace comb when moving frames into the upper box.

Cool.

I made one floor the other day with a 37mm depth, but yet to see how that effects things.

My understanding is that at the bottom of the hive they are leas likely to build too mich brace comb as they treat it like the bottom of a cavity in nature. Whereas violated bee space mid hive is swiftly braced up.

So I'm currently conducting my own experiments, but keen to know other peoples experiments and experiences.

Tempted to experiment with home made slatted racks also. I have 2 hives with slatted racks (purchased) and they have remained totally clean and unbraced but allowed for additional space below the boxes. So unlike my shallow floors you never see them crowded/clustered at the entrance on a rainy day, or a warm evening. I feel it works really well for sheltering the inner hive even further from the elements.

 

[bjosephd]

.

More free space , more drones, more mites

I am foundationless... so I have plenty of drones.

Yet they still tend to lay all the drones exclusively on one or two frames towards the edge of the brood nest.

Unlike you I don't buy in all my queens. So if me and all my neighbours were to declare war on drones (as many seem to) getting queens mated would be even harder.

(And then more drone laying queens = more varroa?)

Anyway.... back to floor depth...

 

[Finman]

Cool.

I made one floor the other day with a 37mm depth, but yet to see how that effects things.

My understanding is that at the bottom of the hive they are leas likely to build too mich brace comb as they treat it like the bottom of a cavity in nature. Whereas violated bee space mid hive is swiftly braced up.

So I'm currently conducting my own experiments, but keen to know other peoples experiments and experiences.

Tempted to experiment with home made slatted racks also. I have 2 hives with slatted racks (purchased) and they have remained totally clean and unbraced but allowed for additional space below the boxes. So unlike my shallow floors you never see them crowded/clustered at the entrance on a rainy day, or a warm evening. I feel it works really well for sheltering the inner hive even further from the elements.

Own experiments! That is not a wise way to learn.

I try variations only, if it brings more honey to the hive or it makes job easier.
To invent wheel again is not my case.

 

[Finman]

I am foundationless... so I have plenty of drones.

Yet they still tend to lay all the drones exclusively on one or two frames towards the edge of the brood nest.

Unlike you I don't buy in all my queens. So if me and all my neighbours were to declare war on drones (as many seem to) getting queens mated would be even harder.

(And then more drone laying queens = more varroa?)

Anyway.... back to floor depth...

Oh my goodness...... I really have better to do. I have few hives on rape field which have each 100 kg honey.

I make experiment, do I cut my backbone when I lift full langstroth box from the hight of 2.00 metre. I have done that experiment many times but.... One day it will happen.


.

 

[Finman]

Unlike you I don't buy in all my queens.

Last summer I bought all queens when I changed genepool. Now I have reared all queens .

Unlike you, my only interest is extract honey so much as possible. I let others change their floor depths. As far what I have seen, guys have done revolutions last 50 years with their millimetres.

 

[bjosephd]

Last summer I bought all queens when I changed genepool. Now I have reared all queens .



Unlike you, my only interest is extract honey so much as possible. I let others change their floor depths. As far what I have seen, guys have done revolutions last 50 years with their millimetres.

What floor depth do you use Finman?

 

[alfazer]

I like about 20mm so I can slide my vaporizer in there.
I can also do it from under the mesh but vapour corrodes it.

 

[Finman]

What floor depth do you use Finman?

20 mm and solid floor.

 

[bingevader]

What floor depth do you use Finman?

Ask Mr Langstroth, he did all the experimenting!
Looks like 3/4" from what I can see.

 

[philipm]

Been making JBM type open mesh floors this year with a slight modification above the mesh to allow the sublimator to fit in. I now have a section at the back that hinges out. adds about 20mm above the mesh. I've had no problems with brace comb.

 

[polomadh]

Same as a few folk have said, I have changed all my Darlington type underfloor entrance floors to accommodate OA vaporiser, by adding various thickness bits of batons I have had lying around, with no brace comb... so far anyway!

 

[Eyeman]

You'll get some brace comb on the bottom bars- only really a problem if you are running double brood as you need to remember to remove that brace comb when moving frames into the upper box.

I didn't mean brace comb on the bottom bars as it's not attached to the floor or anything else! It just gets in the way and crushes bees (if you don't remember to remove it) when you move frames from the lower to the upper box.

 

[Finman]

Ask Mr Langstroth, he did all the experimenting!
Looks like 3/4" from what I can see.

I read from beekeeping book 55 years ago. "Modern Beekeeping, 1962. We have used all the time American Langstroth standard.

 

[Finman]

Ask Mr Langstroth, he did all the experimenting!
Looks like 3/4" from what I can see.

That is 18.75 mm