Mixed frame formats

[megadyptes]

The nuc I got at the end of our beginners course contained a mixture of hoffman frames and also a couple with long plastic spacers on them - I guess that was what the person who captured the swarm had available at the time.

The flat-pack hive kit kit came with small plastic frame spacers. So having transferred the nuc into the hive, I've now got a mixture of frames, and despite my best efforts I don't seem to be able to get them all uniformly spaced and the bees are building brace comb above a couple of frames and the crown board.

The colony seems to be doing ok (to my newbie eyes!) and has drawn out comb on all by two of the frames in the 7 days since they were re-homed and if they carry on at that rate then all frames in the brood box will be drawn by the end of this week

To try and get back to having just one style of spacer, and hopefully the correct spacing, I'd like to swap out the hoffmans and long spacer. How big an issue is it going to be if i pull out one of the odd style frames and replace it with one containing the small spacers and foundation? I was thinking of replacing 1 frame/week. I guess it'll mean sacrificing a frame of brood/stores each time, but the intent for this year wasn't to be drowning in honey, more a case of having a colony that can get through the winter.

Thoughts, comments?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Get some Hoffman converters and clip those onto the side bars of the frames with the plastic spacers.
Thornes do one kind and C Wynne Jones another type.

 

[MuswellMetro]

The nuc I got at the end of our beginners course contained a mixture of hoffman frames and also a couple with long plastic spacers on them - I guess that was what the person who captured the swarm had available at the time.

The flat-pack hive kit kit came with small plastic frame spacers. So having transferred the nuc into the hive, I've now got a mixture of frames, and despite my best efforts I don't seem to be able to get them all uniformly spaced and the bees are building brace comb above a couple of frames and the crown board.

The colony seems to be doing ok (to my newbie eyes!) and has drawn out comb on all by two of the frames in the 7 days since they were re-homed and if they carry on at that rate then all frames in the brood box will be drawn by the end of this week

To try and get back to having just one style of spacer, and hopefully the correct spacing, I'd like to swap out the hoffmans and long spacer. How big an issue is it going to be if i pull out one of the odd style frames and replace it with one containing the small spacers and foundation? I was thinking of replacing 1 frame/week. I guess it'll mean sacrificing a frame of brood/stores each time, but the intent for this year wasn't to be drowning in honey, more a case of having a colony that can get through the winter.

Thoughts, comments?

i would keep the selfspacing hoffmans and ditch any with plastic spacers, (in interim i would change the wide spacers to hoffman plastic spacers to match the hoffman 35mm rather than 37mm with other spacers)

why well spacers rock when moving box, fall off at inconvenient moments

and spacers harbour wax moth eggs and will be bad news if we get Small hive beetle ( not an issue elsewhere as they mainly use Hoffmans)

 

[itma]

Get some Hoffman converters and clip those onto the side bars of the frames with the plastic spacers.
Thornes do one kind and C Wynne Jones another type.

Yes, aim to remove the non-hoffman frames with hoffmans so all brood frames are hoffman.
In the meantime, invest a fiver in some hoffman spacers and ditch asap the end-spacers.

End-spacers may (for some) have a place in supers, but for the beginner, keeping things simple with an all-hoffman brood box is definitely the best direction of travel.

 

[enrico]

But......... I would convert them all to plastic spacers. I find them easier, they will slip on the Hoffman frames. The wide ones can overlap to make them short ones! They are useful for wide spacing supers. Depends what you prefer. I prefer spacers, some don't! My advice is that if you have some spacers then stick to them or stick to hoffman's but don't try and mix and match, it doesn't work!
E

 

[megadyptes]

Get some Hoffman converters and clip those onto the side bars of the frames with the plastic spacers.

So how is that going to affect spacing in the brood box overall? The hive that I've seen during the beginners course that had hoffman frames also tended to have a dummy frame in (reducing the number to 19, rather than 11 frames?) so i guess I'd end up with a spare drawn frame, or will 11 still fit?

I doubt the current plastic ones will move much, they were a real struggle to slip them on over the end of the top bar.

...but for the beginner, keeping things simple with an all-hoffman brood box is definitely the best direction of travel.

All well and good, and something to do over time as frames get damaged, but given I got close to 100 frames i think i'll be using those clips for the forseeable future...

 

[Erichalfbee]

11 and a dummy will fit.
If you have a spare drawn brood frame pop it in the freezer. You will need it at some stage.
A dedicated beekeeping freezer is a good piece of kit...to store all sorts including those spare frames you will have in the future, to kill wax moth in dry stored super frames and to keep a stash of cut comb.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

11 and a dummy will fit.
If you have a spare drawn brood frame pop it in the freezer. You will need it at some stage.
A dedicated beekeeping freezer is a good piece of kit...to store all sorts including those spare frames you will have in the future, to kill wax moth in dry stored super frames and to keep a stash of cut comb.

Nowt wrong with putting it in a large plastic freezer bag with two protective bits of thin correx board in our house. Just dont bash it about while rummaging for something else
(I'm told serious fishermen store. Maggots in the kitchen fridge)

 

[Barbarian]

I have my Nationals aligned "Warm Way"

When I have a frame for removal, I place it next to the entrance. I find that once the brood has hatched the Q does not lay on that frame and I can remove it.

 

[megadyptes]

11 and a dummy will fit. If you have a spare drawn brood frame pop it in the freezer

What's the logic behind keeping it cold for long term storage aside from killing off wax moth? I'd have thougth that once the cold shock has had the desired effect and sterilised the frame it wouldn't make much difference how they were stored providing they were sealed in some manner.

 

[RogueDrone]

on each inspection remove the end frame inspect and if going to keep place at other end if wish to disregard / keep as drawn comb place foundation in at end . 10 inspections all will be replaced. if the last two are not in use remove those to speed up process foundation can be placed either side of brood nest to encourage bees to draw it out.

frame spacing personal choice go with what you are happiest with.

 

[Erichalfbee]

What's the logic behind keeping it cold for long term storage aside from killing off wax moth? I'd have thougth that once the cold shock has had the desired effect and sterilised the frame it wouldn't make much difference how they were stored providing they were sealed in some manner.

I'm presuming there might be some uncapped honey which would ferment and some pollen which would go mouldy.
Pollen stored in brood frames is a valuable commodity during times of dearth.