How many frames ?

[drstitson]

"Have drilled a hole the size of my rapid feeder"
so it's a feeder board rather than crown board!

much better IMHO to have solid CBs and separate feeder/clearer boards (the latter especially important as properly designed dedicated ones are miles better than a traditional CB with porter escapes inserted.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

"Have drilled a hole the size of my rapid feeder"
so it's a feeder board rather than crown board!

much better IMHO to have solid CBs and separate feeder/clearer boards (the latter especially important as properly designed dedicated ones are miles better than a traditional CB with porter escapes inserted.

We've been down this road before. If I recall correctly it comes down to a matter of it being down to the owner to use which method suits her/him best. I have clear crownboards with a 25mm central hole to locate a rapid feeder over and a circle drawn around the feeder to aid accurate location. If the feeder is removed as at present the hole is closed by laying a flat disc over the hole. Simples!
This also avoids the risk of boards being inadvertently swapped between hives with hygiene implications.
I lay a sheet of polystyrene on top of the clear sheet in winter which prevents the material suffering condensation occurring.

 

[drstitson]

a dedicated feeder board can of course be stored with each hive immediately above the crown board!

 

[Arfermo]

"If you use castellations, as I do and so do a lot of others viz BBKA news and Beecraft correspondents confirm, then 11 slots are best. Then you don't need to stick in any dummy boards as the spacing is predetermined for you. You will be told that you risk rolling the bees and probably the queen when you inspect. That would be highly unlikely unless you are exceedingly hamfisted and careless."

the slightly wider spacing meaning that odd bits of comb might get built between frames if foundation/comb not perfectly flat.

DOI: perfectly happy using 10 frames & castellations in my dadants - just pull up outer frame (stores). the other frames can be levered up and back onto the top of the adjacent castellation then lifted as normal.

Despite your observation above, I have not had any problems worth the mention for the simple reason that new foundation starts off flat and usually remains so. Otherwise, glad you have the sense to use castellations. Not many of us around perhaps but suspect it might grow as it simplifies other issues in beekeeping practice too.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

glad you have the sense to use castellations. Not many of us around perhaps but suspect it might grow as it simplifies other issues in beekeeping practice too.

Don't see any of that as holding credence. castellations in the honey supers yes. but in the brood Hoffmans much better- less chance of the frames swigning around if you have to move the hive, and once the dummy board is out you just slide the frame back giving more space and lift out. Much less disruption to the bees.
I suppose as being 'widely supported' as reported in BBKA news it stems from the same corner as matchsticks. I don't know of anyone who supports this method. as you say 'not many of us around' so that may tell us a thing or two

 

[drstitson]

"I have not had any problems worth the mention for the simple reason that new foundation starts off flat and usually remains so. "

we're talking jumbo frames here. and typically unwired foundation.
the other problem is with plastic frames which do of course bow easily.

 

[Arfermo]

Don't see any of that as holding credence. castellations in the honey supers yes. but in the brood Hoffmans much better- less chance of the frames swigning around if you have to move the hive, and once the dummy board is out you just slide the frame back giving more space and lift out. Much less disruption to the bees.
I suppose as being 'widely supported' as reported in BBKA news it stems from the same corner as matchsticks. I don't know of anyone who supports this method. as you say 'not many of us around' so that may tell us a thing or two

Don't agree "less chance of the frames swigning(new word from your dictionary?) around if you have to move the hive". First, there is no obligation upon anybody about having to move any hive - it is purely a matter choice. "Much less disruption to the bees" is not necessarily true for the reasons that I gave ie not being clumsy. I also suspect that there are more castellation users in BBs than you imagine and there is no good reason for it not gaining in popularity if only for the economics of cheaper and more easy scraping and cleaning of frames. Clearly you will differ in your views but my practice in beekeeping is absolutely as valid as yours. QED.

 

[Roola]

We've been down this road before. If I recall correctly it comes down to a matter of it being down to the owner to use which method suits her/him best. I have clear crownboards with a 25mm central hole to locate a rapid feeder over and a circle drawn around the feeder to aid accurate location. If the feeder is removed as at present the hole is closed by laying a flat disc over the hole. Simples!
This also avoids the risk of boards being inadvertently swapped between hives with hygiene implications.
I lay a sheet of polystyrene on top of the clear sheet in winter which prevents the material suffering condensation occurring.

I do the same although I use the polycarbonate sheet that sits over the ashforth feeder, I unscrewed it and it fits beautifully across the top of the CB and covers the hole.

It would be cool to develop poly crown boards which are mirrored on the inside so you can see through yet the heat inside is reflected back into the hive.

 

[Tom Bick]

I have inspected a few hives with castellated broods and they are fine and easy to work the even 11 spacings works well and perhaps a better system than the 11 frames and dummy board.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I inherited a dozen hives of bees several years ago, these were all on castellated, did not find inspections to be any problem, except from a speed point of view, as far as i was concerned.
I often only wish to inspect three or four combs from one side or the other just off center, so remove first frame and lever the rest back to the point i wish to inspect, push back, replace outer frame and lever the whole lot back with the hive tool. But then i also dislike 35mm Hoffman spacing with eleven frames and dummy board, much prefer 38mm which the national was designed to take, and better fills the box, and also allows for more winter food storage and slightly bigger clustering area in the seams. I would actually rather use dn1 frames,with 38 mm plastic/metal spacers than 35mm Hoffman, but everyone has their own preference, these are just mine.

 

[Arfermo]

Thanks Hivemaker for a modicum of support. You mention plastic/metal end spacers. My problem with them is that unless the bees propolise them pretty solidly (which they usually do with gusto) I have found they risk sliding off at inconvenient moments during inspections. Propolisation of the plastic spacers also makes cleaning them up another duty that I would rather avoid. For that reason I avoid them if at all possible. The only occasion I do usually use them is in my 5 frame nuc boxes.

 

[Swarm]

A friend of mine used castellations and inspected in the method described by Hivemaker. One of my old brood chambers was fitted with castellations and it was no harder to inspect than the ones with Hoffmans. I suppose you could probably argue there was less fuss than pushing the frames back together while avoiding crushing bees.

 

[VEG]

I have one hive with castellated spacers in the brood. I have had it about three years, don't find it any harder to inspect than any other hive.

 

[itma]

... One of my old brood chambers was fitted with castellations and it was no harder to inspect than the ones with Hoffmans. I suppose you could probably argue there was less fuss than pushing the frames back together while avoiding crushing bees.

I have one hive with castellated spacers in the brood. I have had it about three years, don't find it any harder to inspect than any other hive.

And, being so impressed, exactly how many brood boxes have you both changed over to castellations?

 

[VEG]

Didn't say I was impressed or that I would change over to them.

 

[itma]

Didn't say I was impressed or that I would change over to them.

That's all I wanted to establish!

 

[VEG]

I'm in no rush to swap it over either lol

 

[itma]

I'm in no rush to swap it over either lol

Its best to provide a clear message to the beginners.

 

[VEG]

Ok to be clear I got one no rush to swap it lol

 

[Swarm]

Personal choice or what works best for the individual, would be my advice.