How precise is the need for beespace above the tops of frames?

[user 20297]

I'm messing about with the logistics of placing one or maybe two Mini-Plus boxes above an Abelo nuc or an Abelo National box. The fitment is quite good over the nuc; with a bit of hacking I could even make them interlock. I'm probably going to make an adaptor-plate such as I have seen described when people are working to gether the larger sizes such as a National above a Langstroth. I'm OK with sorting that out, but putting these two sizes together may end up with a beespace of around 13mm between the tops and bottoms of frames.

I don't have enough experience "of-piste" to know if this will immediately annoy the bees with subsequent brace-comb, or whether I may get away with it short-term. I considered temporarily stapling some material as a 5mm shim to the tops of the National frames or the bottoms of the Mini-Plus, but I would rather avoid that.

I would be interested in anyone's experiences interchanging this combination of hive.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Lot of brace comb with 13mm.
Cushman explains it all nicely
Bee Space

 

[user 20297]

Lot of brace comb with 13mm.
Cushman explains it all nicely
Bee Space

Thankyou.

 

[rolande]

Temporary thing, not an issue, if you get some brace comb just scrape it off.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Temporary thing, not an issue, if you get some brace comb just scrape it off.

Yes but bees often put brood in it

 

[rolande]

Yes but bees often put brood in it

Not a problem, scrape it off.

But.... I can think of better ways to stock mini plus hives.

On a positive note, once stocked they'll probably be self supporting in so far as you'll normally be able to restock failed units from the survivorseach spring.

 

[rolande]

Just a thought: the lyson mp floors are quite deep so place a thin sheet of polythene on the top bars of the middle 3 or 4 combs in the bottom box and any brace comb on the bottoms of the mp frames (which can be orientated at 90 degrees) will have very little if any connection (so the frames can be removed and still housed on a normal mp floor without any trimming back) but there will still be plenty of space to encourage the Queen up.

 

[user 20297]

Not a problem, scrape it off.

But.... I can think of better ways to stock mini plus hives.

On a positive note, once stocked they'll probably be self supporting in so far as you'll normally be able to restock failed units from the survivorseach spring.

Initially, I wasn't thinking of stocking the mini-plus. It would be handy restrict the queen in the piggybacked colony from accessing the mini frames. I just want to get them drawn, and then promptly extracted. Just the same way that R.P. recommends we should get deep frames drawn as honey-supers so that we have a good supply for conventional nuc-making.

 

[rolande]

Initially, I wasn't thinking of stocking the mini-plus. It would be handy restrict the queen in the piggybacked colony from accessing the mini frames. I just want to get them drawn, and then promptly extracted. Just the same way that R.P. recommends we should get deep frames drawn as honey-supers so that we have a good supply for conventional nuc-making.

In that case, absolutely no issue regards brace comb, cut down a slotted excluder and scrape off the brace as/when needed.

With quite a few years mini plus experimentation behind me I'd point out that once you have a mated queen in a mp box you'll have no trouble getting more combs drawn in an upper story so probably won't need to use the full size nuc anyway. The photo is a slab of natural comb drawn from the roof, in an upper box which for some reason was one frame short. The bees absolutely love these boxes.

 

[Swarm]

Nothing beats natural comb.

 

[elainemary]

In that case, absolutely no issue regards brace comb, cut down a slotted excluder and scrape off the brace as/when needed.

With quite a few years mini plus experimentation behind me I'd point out that once you have a mated queen in a mp box you'll have no trouble getting more combs drawn in an upper story so probably won't need to use the full size nuc anyway. The photo is a slab of natural comb drawn from the roof, in an upper box which for some reason was one frame short. The bees absolutely love these boxes. View attachment 30010

Fabulous comb drawing!

 

[oliver90owner]

On another thread, someone said they had not been kerping bees long enough to know 9that was about varooa resistance to fluvalinates).

ame applies here? Bee space has been known about ever since Langstroth a co were around! Yet not absorbed by some, obviously.

 

[user 20297]

On another thread, someone said they had not been kerping bees long enough to know 9that was about varooa resistance to fluvalinates).

ame applies here? Bee space has been known about ever since Langstroth a co were around! Yet not absorbed by some, obviously.

judged by yor speling, yu were in a desprate hurry to 9insult me there.

 

[rolande]

judged by yor speling, yu were in a desprate hurry to 9insult me there.

I doubt any insult was directed at you!!!

But I'm quite happy to stand by everything I've written here, *sometimes* the end justifies the means.

 

[user 20297]

I doubt any insult was directed at you!!!

But I'm quite happy to stand by everything I've written here, *sometimes* the end justifies the means.

Sorry @rolande , I have nothing but grateful thanks for your helpful advice on this matter and on others. I was in such a hurry to bat back at @oliver90owner that I didn't notice I had got you multi-quoted somehow. My mistake, one of many.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Sorry @rolande , I have nothing but grateful thanks for your helpful advice on this matter and on others. I was in such a hurry to bat back at @oliver90owner that I didn't notice I had got you multi-quoted somehow. My mistake, one of many.

Ping pong

 

[user 20297]

Ping pong

@oliver90owner always has the balls.

 

[Moobee]

On another thread, someone said they had not been kerping bees long enough to know 9that was about varooa resistance to fluvalinates).

ame applies here? Bee space has been known about ever since Langstroth a co were around! Yet not absorbed by some, obviously.

That ‘someone’ was me BTW and I know mites are resistant to fluvalinates, hence I don’t use them. What I didn’t know as a relatively new beek was that this was 20 year old ‘news’. I’ll be clearer next time I comment……

 

[oliver90owner]

judged by yor speling, yu were in a desprate hurry to 9insult me there.

No, not particularly. Just wanted to move on to a sensible thread and didn’t bother to check my keying in.

@oliver90owner always has the balls.

We know where the pong resides. You do fine - keep it up your way.