frame direction

[dannygolf1959]

Sorry people but here I go again.
I was watching a video on Youtube and the beekeeping was moving his bees from a wooden hive to a poly hive. The hive was the same one I have.
I notice he had the frames running across the way rather than running towards the entrance.
Does this make any difference or what ?

 

[RogueDrone]

When solid floors were the norm people often moved frames between warm way (across) and cold Way (front to back) the frame position doesn't make much difference now due to mesh floor.

Personally I used both systems and it comes down to which is best for my back.

Colin

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

None in the great scheme of things - the only thing you'll maybe notice is a slight difference in the shape of the distribution of stores/brood in each frame
In 'cold' way (frames at 90 degrees to the front of the hive) there will be more stores on the side of the frame furthest from the entrance and the food 'arch' will tend to end further up the side of the frame towards the entrance.The area of brood will also tend to get smaller on the frames towards the 'outside' of the hive
With 'warm' way (frames running across the entrance) the food arch will appear more evenly balanced with stores being placed all the way down the edges to the bottom but the bees will tend to ignore the frame closest to the entrance and the brood areas will be smaller towards the front and the back of the hive.
The terms warm way/cold way hark back to the days of solid floors and aren't really relevant if you have OMF so the orientation of the frames is entirely up to your preference.

 

[dannygolf1959]

very interesting guys thanks

 

[Robbo8916]

I was always taught frames go the 'cold way' when I first started out learning about beekeeping.

My first hive arrived and was set up the 'warm way' and is still in that configuration today. The nuc is set up the 'cold way' as most are just because of their shape/size.

Cannot say I have noticed much difference in brood/store patterns except in the 'warm way' hive the frame right at the back of the brood box has been totally ignored and is still foundation. The bees have started building upwards into the super rather than extending backwards. Not sure if that makes much difference really though. They know what they're doing, whereas I stand and marvel at just how much I still have to learn.

 

[Davelin]

With open floors makes no difference.

It just depends whether you want to work at the side or the rear of the hive, it's very awkward to work frames if they are aligned in the direction you are facing.

 

[Hivemaker.]

When solid floors were the norm people often moved frames between warm way (across) and cold Way (front to back) the frame position doesn't make much difference now due to mesh floor.

With open floors makes no difference.

What difference does it make when using solid floors then? using both in several different locations I cannot say I have seen any difference at all.

 

[thedeaddiplomat]

I generally use the cold way (just because it seems convenient to us). On occasion, though, the current Lady DD has accidentally then put a super on the warm way. I am not sure that the bees cared a great deal - but it did confuse me!

 

[Finman]

When solid floors were the norm people often moved frames between warm way (across) and cold Way (front to back) the f.

Colin

The whole warm way cold or cold way is mere humbug.

No one has changed the position of frames in langstroth hives.

 

[Poly Hive]

Dear god now someone will invent a "new" floor for Lang so they can be cold or warm or neither....

OP? It makes not a whit of a difference.

PH

 

[Finman]

Dear god now someone will invent a "new" floor for Lang so they can be cold or warm or neither....

OP? It makes not a whit of a difference.

PH

It was not Dear God. It was Dear Langstroth.

 

[For want of a better word]

It was not Dear God. It was Dear Langstroth.

What about the radial frame spinning Sun Hive that turned to the motion of the Moon???
Pain in the backside when trying to get the Moon phase aligned with Sirius rising on a full Spring tide... ask JBM he was an old salt!

Yeghes da

 

[Finman]

.
Full SpringTide. That we exactly need.

We do not have a tide in our sea, bu we really need it.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

What about the radial frame spinning Sun Hive that turned to the motion of the Moon???
Pain in the backside when trying to get the Moon phase aligned with Sirius rising on a full Spring tide... ask JBM he was an old salt!

Yeghes da

It is simpler just to align it with the zenith of Uranus

 

[For want of a better word]

It is simpler just to align it with the zenith of Uranus

Dammit... I was facing Mecca when I should have been facing Solomons... how come I always get the wrong bookmaker... my strict Primitive Methodist upbringing possibly!



Yeghes da

 

[Finman]

Dammit... I was facing Mecca when I should have been facing Solomons... how come I always get the wrong bookmaker... my strict Primitive Methodist upbringing possibly!



Yeghes da

Take the help from where you get it.

Keep many irons in the fire!
Do not do do nothing. (DNDDN)

.

 

[MJB]

None in the great scheme of things - the only thing you'll maybe notice is a slight difference in the shape of the distribution of stores/brood in each frame
In 'cold' way (frames at 90 degrees to the front of the hive) there will be more stores on the side of the frame furthest from the entrance and the food 'arch' will tend to end further up the side of the frame towards the entrance.The area of brood will also tend to get smaller on the frames towards the 'outside' of the hive
With 'warm' way (frames running across the entrance) the food arch will appear more evenly balanced with stores being placed all the way down the edges to the bottom but the bees will tend to ignore the frame closest to the entrance and the brood areas will be smaller towards the front and the back of the hive.
The terms warm way/cold way hark back to the days of solid floors and aren't really relevant if you have OMF so the orientation of the frames is entirely up to your preference.

Thats great to Know as i was worried that id have to figure out a way to orientate my frames in my poly hive but reading this post gives me the understanding. thanks

 

[user 6228]

you have to add into the mix:

whether the observer had any top vents or entrances as these make significant difference to the airflow,

exposed windy location or calm

design of the stand

height off the ground

size of the entrance....

I would worry more about the conductance of the hive and distance from the bees to the first opening below them as these are muc h bigger factors than the oreintation

 

[For want of a better word]

Use the bees to find our their own choice of orientation.

Remove half of the frames from a brood box and allow the bees to fix comb to a board that you have made to fit top of gap left by top bars of frames.
Drawn down comb will orientate at right angle to leyline colony placed on.... rotate hive so that comb and hence frames aligns with this... with entrance facing near to South by South West ( a magnetic compass will provide you with this approximate direction)

KISS

Yeghes da

 

[Finman]

.
If you succeed to have 8 hours night sleep, gradually test step by step, do you have brains.