Frames in supers

[Levitt53]

Thanks all. So much to learn but I have a free and hopefully sunny day tomorrow so I plan to get it all made up. Hope the sun shines and the bees fly as the last few days have been rubbish weather here.

 

[iand]

I do regret not buying castellated runners as I now have to buy plastic spacers. But then I got two brood, two omf, 4 supers and 200 frames for £175.00.

All our boxes run with hoffman frames, 12 if national or 10 if langstroth in the brood. Less frames are used in the supers & these are all spaced by hand to suit. Pushed close together if foundation fitted & moved further apart & spaced more equally as they are drawn out. No complications, no bits to take off when extracting etc. No reason why spacing by eye would not work with SN1's. I have a few SN1's among my heather frames!
I have come across castellations only once (not mine). Some of those boxes ended up blood red, be careful.

 

[bontbee]

I have come across castellations only once (not mine). Some of those boxes ended up blood red, be careful.

Good tip!

 

[Poly Hive]

I came across a commercial operation once using Castellations, but as ITLD says once you are in a mind set and you scale up you keep what you are familiar with, but not for me thanks. So inflexible.

PH

 

[maddydog]

I came across a commercial operation once using Castellations, but as ITLD says once you are in a mind set and you scale up you keep what you are familiar with, but not for me thanks. So inflexible.

PH

Castellations only in the shallow supers. A full and capped frame out of a 9 frame castellated shallow is a thing of beauty imo. No red boxes yet either.

 

[REDWOOD]

You will get 12 hoffmans in a super, thats how mine start out to get the fondation drawn then the next year they get 10 frame castellations.
If you plan on extracting honey you will need a QE

 

[Cussword]

I think Hivemaker uses castellations. I'm sure I read that somewhere.

 

[Levitt53]

I actually think my bees have died so am scrapping hive making day and feeling sorry for myself. It's lovely weather here. No bees in sight. I've peeked between the floor and the box and under the fondant and can hear nothing. Ce la vie.

 

[Swarm]

I actually think my bees have died so am scrapping hive making day and feeling sorry for myself. It's lovely weather here. No bees in sight. I've peeked between the floor and the box and under the fondant and can hear nothing. Ce la vie.

In that case, it's worth a quick look under the crownboard. Hope all is OK but if not, seal up the hive until you can deal with it.

 

[MartinL]

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . If you plan on extracting honey you will need a QE

Haven't bothered with them since I left one on (by mistake) a couple of years ago!

Wiped out my strongest hive, Winter of 2013/14!

 

[drex]

The edge of the wooden frames on mine are all painted bright yellow, so I know where they are. Prevents that sort of mistake

 

[mbc]

+1 for 9 frame castellations in supers, once the foundation's drawn obviously.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I think Hivemaker uses castellations. I'm sure I read that somewhere.

In the brood box as well as supers

 

[Swarm]

In the brood box as well as supers

And nowt wrong with that either, nice honey arcs.

 

[maddydog]

In the brood box as well as supers

Hmmm not for me at the moment as I like to slide the frames when inspecting. However, when it's just a quick look for bias I can see the advantage of easily being able to pick a single frame.
Interested to hear the views of beeks who use castellations in deep brood boxes.