Hoffman frames on castellations?

[thenovice]

Hi all,

new to it all and started my first colony 6 weeks ago. my starter kit came with rails for the broodbox and castellations for the supers. I am surely hooked and will in the future buy more kit. I'd like to be able to combine kit as much as possible and wondered if hoffman frames would be difficult to handle on castellations?

 

[oliver90owner]

Think about it.

Hoffman 35mm, castellations? I wonder whether they might propolise the gap.......

 

[VEG]

why would you use hoffmans with castellations?

 

[Davelin]

General practice is to use Hoffman self spacing frames in the brood box. They are easier to manipulate on smooth runners than frames in castellated runners although there are people who use castellations in the brood box.

In the supers castellations are generally better; be aware though that there are different spacing castellated runners available.
If you are starting with foundation in a super it is best to use 11 frame spacing. In subsequent years if you use the drawn frames you can use 10 or 9 castellations. The wider spacing allows the wax to be drawn out further and you get more honey per frame making extraction easier.

 

[alanf]

Both of the largest UK suppliers of National starter kits use Hoffman for the brood (DN4 frames), 10 frame castellations (SN1 frames) in the super. That's the main reason it's pretty much the default for hobby beekeepers and is widely used. If you do use "brood and a half", a brood area of a deep and a shallow, then Hoffman spacing throughout your brood tends to be the majority choice. If you have a few Hoffman super frames (SN4), they will fit in castellations among the SN1 without any real problems, but since they cost more there's no point buying them to use with castellated runners.

Castellations are simple, cheap and stop the frames swinging in supers when you're moving them. You can use 11. 10 and 9 frame versions progressively. Or you can stick to 10 and get away with it most of the time. The largest bee farmers tend to use Hoffman throughout. The part automated machinery they use for extraction is built for them. Some prefer Manley spacing with full depth wider parallel sides, but they don't fit all extractors. Some are still using the plastic (or even metal) spacers on SN1 frames but the usual complaint is they're fiddly to use being removed for extraction and then replaced for instance.

Best sources for the frame naming and sizes are the catalogues of the major suppliers, Thornes and Maisemore both do downloadable pdf versions.

 

[thenovice]

why would you use hoffmans with castellations?

Thanks for all the replies so far. the reason for asking is that what I have now is deep brood 14 X 12 on runners and castellations in the super, as you do when you buy a starter kit. In coming years I might add a super to the brood to have "brood and 3/4"? or whatever it would be called, on runners. I thought for simplicity, if I only buy hoffman I do not have to think about where they will be going. In a super or a broodsuper... Just trying to think forwards...

 

[YorkshireBees]

As you are thinking ahead, which is good, yes sn4 super frames will fit in standard castellations.

I use a mix of sn1 and sn4 as I have castellated supers (wood) and non-castellated supers (poly) so I always have enough sn4 to use in those.

In terms of using a super for 14x12 + 1/2 that ofc is your own choice.

 

[thenovice]

In terms of using a super for 14x12 + 1/2 that ofc is your own choice.

would you recommend a normal BB or another 14X12 then?

 

[YorkshireBees]

would you recommend a normal BB or another 14X12 then?

I work my bees a different way and have no experience with 14x12 so am the wrong person to ask.

I use standard Nat. deeps and besides the occaisional time in the year when I may go double brood I run on single BB and demaree.

 

[Davelin]

would you recommend a normal BB or another 14X12 then?

14x12 should be big enough for most situations. Brood and a half or double brood is using ordinary National deep boxes. Your choice as to which way you go, but don't think you will need 14x12 plus half.

 

[jd101k2000]

Am I right in thinking that David Cushman liked having castellated brood boxes? (To add to the confusion)