Moving super frames

[Do224]

Do people mess about re-jigging frames of foundation within a super to encourage the bees to use it?

For example, if the bees are drawing and filling the middle frames would you then move these frames towards the sides and bring the untouched frames of foundation to the middle?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Depends how busy I am - but yes

 

[Antipodes]

Do people mess about re-jigging frames of foundation within a super to encourage the bees to use it?

For example, if the bees are drawing and filling the middle frames would you then move these frames towards the sides and bring the untouched frames of foundation to the middle?

Yes, sometimes I do, but I try and judge the anticipated flow and the strength of the colony. If the middle frames are getting filled and partly capped at only a moderate pace, and I then move the undrawn frames in and the better filled ones to the sides, I might end up at the end of an average flow with a super of only partly capped honey. (I only take capped honey so that's a pain). It's nice to take the lovely fully capped more central frames out for harvesting.

Is it a good flow or only sluggish?

 

[W0otz]

Yes, both moving them within a super, putting less developed frames towards the centre, and between supers, moving capped frames up.
Then again I've only got a few hives and time to mess about with them.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Do people mess about re-jigging frames of foundation within a super to encourage the bees to use it?

For example, if the bees are drawing and filling the middle frames would you then move these frames towards the sides and bring the untouched frames of foundation to the middle?

Sometimes but it's more faffing around. If the colony's swarm preps are done and dusted and there is a flow on then they will fill the space anyway

 

[Curly green finger's]

Often moving frames around in the supers outside to the middle and reversing frames that are drawn one sided .
This season also reducing super frames to 10s

 

[Do224]

Would you only move a fully capped frame outwards, or is it beneficial to move all drawn frames to the edge and bring undrawn frames to the middle?

 

[Do224]

Is it a good flow or only sluggish?

They look pretty busy…

 

[enrico]

Why not just take three frames out and put them in a new super with empty frames, widen the space between the the remaining frames and the bees will give you more honey per frame as they widen the gap. The wide spacers are good for that. Overlap them to start with and then butt them up later when the flow is on.

 

[Do224]

Why not just take three frames out and put them in a new super with empty frames, widen the space between the the remaining frames and the bees will give you more honey per frame as they widen the gap. The wide spacers are good for that. Overlap them to start with and then butt them up later when the flow is on.

What’s the benefit in doing that as opposed to just adding a second super and keeping the DN4 frame spacing?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

widen the space between the the remaining frames and the bees will give you more honey

not really, the difference is minimal

 

[W0otz]

What’s the benefit in doing that as opposed to just adding a second super and keeping the DN4 frame spacing?

DN4 spacing is good to build up an initial stock of drawn comb (cram 12 frames in a super), but moving to wider spacing gives you fewer, fatter combs. Fewer frames to uncap and more honey overall (fewer seams of bees taking up honey space).

 

[enrico]

not really, the difference is minimal

More honey PER FRAME. the difference is more than minimal.

 

[enrico]

What’s the benefit in doing that as opposed to just adding a second super and keeping the DN4 frame spacing?

Use less frames for the same amount of honey.

 

[robmort]

....or fewer frames and more honey, because there is less woodwork and the same overall volume, and certainly a lot more honey/frame.

 

[manek]

Manley frames are what you want (can't remember the type number: SN1??).

 

[JamezF]

Manley frames are what you want (can't remember the type number: SN1??).

As far as I recall they're just sold as Manley frames. SN1 would be standard frames with narrow side bars for use with castellations or spacers, then SN2 have the wider top bar. SN4 and SN5 are similar but with Hoffman side bars. I don't recall ever seeing SN3.

James

 

[manek]

Ah yes, thanks, been a while since I had to buy any, they get re-used over and over again. Anyway, they're nice and wide, give ten frames per super, and plenty of honey!

 

[mdotb]

As far as I recall they're just sold as Manley frames. SN1 would be standard frames with narrow side bars for use with castellations or spacers, then SN2 have the wider top bar. SN4 and SN5 are similar but with Hoffman side bars. I don't recall ever seeing SN3.

James

Manleys are SN7 but you rarely see the designation.

 

[JamezF]

Manleys are SN7 but you rarely see the designation.

So rarely that I don't think I've ever seen it at all Do you happen to know what SN3 and SN6 are/were, out of interest, assuming they ever existed at all?

James