Manley or normal frames?

[POPZ]

Can anyone tell me what the advantages are of manley super frames over ordinary ones? I have both types ready to super over a nuc.

 

[marcros]

Can anyone tell me what the advantages are of manley super frames over ordinary ones? I have both types ready to super over a nuc.

I find that Manley are easier to uncap. They also do away with using plastic spacers which i hate.

Minus points are that they have plenty of surface area to gum together.

 

[gavin]

I'm with Marcros - I bought a job lot of plain super frames by mistake and don't really like the plastic ends. They are fine when they are new, but sliding them along to permit the close spacing gets difficult. There is never that much propolis in the supers, so the flat ends of Manleys never give me trouble.

Hoffmans for me in the brood box though - less squashing of bees and easier to prise apart for inspection.

G.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I like castellated in supers,nothing to gum up at all. SN1

 

[gavin]

Yup, that's an option (and one I have now since buying an extra hive from Thornes in their December sale). I'm trying hard not to use them yet, as I really dislike the inability to slide frames around. I'd usually start with frames close-packed then take one or two out and space them more widely if there's a good flow on.

G.

 

[Hivemaker.]

How do you do this Gavin,use no spacers at all with sn1? because if you use manley frames,ten fit in national super,you have to lift them from one place to another,(if you can prize them apart),same as castellated.

 

[OXFORDBEE]

I use Manley frames and apart from the fact they get gummed up if they are not stuck close together I like the ability to suffle/slide frames about so that capped frames are at the ends of the super and frames to be filled are at the center. This bit is not quite as fiddly as when supers are castellated.

However, prising frames apart for extraction can be a sod at times, especially when the propolis sticking them together is cold.

Gavin,
>Hoffmans for me in the brood box though - less squashing of bees and easier to prise apart for inspection.

Opposite for me...I find Hoffmans more of a fight in a brood box as they seem to get gummed up more. There's a smaller area for gluing things up with plastic ends, and the frames come out of the box more easily, especially when the temperature is cool. That said 12 hoffman frames in a brood box is alleged to give a faster spring build up as the combs are closer together, and plastic ends dropping off when frames are new can be a pain.

Time's the most important thing, and your decision on what's best for you will depend on your bees and their love of propolis!

 

[gavin]

I've gone down to 9 frames from the 10 Manley, but also you can get 11 or sometimes 12 in a super of some of the other types initially then reduce them to 9. Thornes sell 5 variants for National supers, and I've probably got them all. Also some of my super boxes are also second hand and not quite the standard size, so sometimes 12 do get in.

The frames with plastic (or metal) ends can be used with the ends staggered at first, then you can give them a wide spacing to complete the comb after making the ends line up, if you know what I mean.

With castellated super rails you have none of this fun at all, and just have to go with the spacing offered.

best wishes

Gavin

 

[Hivemaker.]

Thought you said you hate plastic spacers in supers,not very difficult to just lift out a drawn center frame,and place on the outside with castellated,lot quicker than with gummed up manleys,which you cannot slide if you have ten in a box,you have to lift some out first,then you try and slide them where exactly.

 

[POPZ]

Scrivens guys - didn't mean to start a brawl!

But interesting reading the different points of view. Guess there are more ways than one and what works for you/me is the best. I am going to try both types in one castellated super and have hammer and chisel at the ready!

 

[OXFORDBEE]

I use a big hive tool as a lever (against the side of the super and the top bars of the frames) to slide frames around. Take out the two best filled fames from the center of the super, slide the frames together from the ends to the center and pop the full frames in at the ends. The hive tool gives quite good leverage and the Manleys move easily. It's also quite a useful way of squeezing 11 hoffman frames together in a bood box so the 12th frame slides in. I also like the ability to take a Manley super and put it on its side without the frames popping out. It gives a bit more flexibility in the field.

It's a personal preference with me. A lot of my frames get cleaned up in a steamer because they go solid, so a fair few of my supers are as new each season. I've no time to piddle around extracting supers willy nilly at the height of the season. I wish I had but there you go..

 

[jon]

But interesting reading the different points of view. Guess there are more ways than one and what works for you/me is the best. at the ready!

Exactly. Anyone who posts that there is only one way and that is the way they do it has an ego problem.
All areas of beekeeping are open to personal preference from race of bee to type of box to size of frame etc etc.

 

[OXFORDBEE]

True, thinking about it if lots of my Manley frames did not get tidied up each year I'd agree with Hivemaker.