Hoffmann frames - confused newbee of West Sussex

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dickbowyer

House Bee
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Joined
May 3, 2010
Messages
315
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Location
W Sussex, UK
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
Some hives and a few nucs
I am using National hives have been recommended to use 11 Hoffman frames in the brood box. It has been suggested that these frames are easy to use but 11 frames do not sit snuggly, 12 do but not 11. When I bought my equipment the supplier suggested spacing evenly by eye. Sorry for being a bit of a newbee but how are these frames best used. With a dummy board to take up the extra space, by eye or what else?? Very confused!
 
There is no point in having hoffman frames if you have to space them out by eye. Use a dummy board or leave an equal space at either end of the frames. You may get a bit of brace comb doing it this way though. You can fit 12 frames in but once they get propolised you will have a hard job to get them all in.
 
Yes 11 Hoffman frames and a dummy board is best push all the Hoffman's together an fit the dummy board up to the last frame.
 
Hi
You could fit some castellated spacers, that would help you keep them evenly apart.
 
good point but the good thing with the Hoffmans and the dummy board is you can separate the frames be for removing. Also I suspect that they tend to be more stable when moving hives.
 
Thanks for very prompt replies. Why are Hoffman frames so recommended when a dummy board is needed when you could just use wide spacers or castellated spacers?
 
Not many use castellated spacers in the brood box.
 
dickbowyer,

Why are Hoffman frames so recommended

For the reasons given above. Re-iterating:

You can use 12.

They are self-spacing.

They are more stable in transit.

A dummy board is good for whatever frame one uses as one can more easily remove the dummy without 'rolling bees' and then have space for removing the others as required.
I usually use 12, but if they get too tight, I fit a dummy. I have the choice.

I don't like castellated runners, either in supers, or in brood boxes - so much easier to change the spacing in supers and to remove the frames in a brood box with plain runners.

Regards, RAB
 
There is no point in having hoffman frames if you have to space them out by eye. Use a dummy board or leave an equal space at either end of the frames. You may get a bit of brace comb doing it this way though. You can fit 12 frames in but once they get propolised you will have a hard job to get them all in.
Leaving a space at each side doesn't present a problem as hoffman to side wall isn't a full bee space anyway :).

John Wilkinson
 
I agree but there is more than one bee space each end.
 
I use Hoffman in my hives and would use 11 frames with a thin dummy board each end and have no problems..... However the recent frames from Thornes when made up in a national box would take 12 and a dummy board. It must be slight differences in the cut frames from this year to the ones bought last year.
 
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