Newbie - Question about frames

[mocko]

Hi everyone,

I bought 50 x DN4 and 50 x SN4 frames in the Thornes sale but ended up receiving 50 x DN5 and 50 x SN4 frames. The DN5's I received had a "DN4 frame" sticker attached but was covered over by a "DN5 frame" sticker.

I'm unsure of the difference between DN4 and DN5, and also wondered if it matters if I have DN5's and SN4's together in the same hive? will this make much of a difference?

Many thanks in advance

Andy

 

[Black Comb]

Only difference between between DN4's and 5's is width of top bar. 4's have a 7/8" wide top bar and 5's have a 1 and 1/16" wide top bar. 5's are better because there is less chance of burr comb between the bars with these. Both have Hofmann side bars.

As for 4's in supers I don't think it will matter because frame numbers are changed as they fill with honey. However, my honey producing experience is minimal so perhaps someone else will comment.

 

[RoofTops]

SN5/DN5 are better than SN4/DN4 although you will still get some brace comb between top bars.

SN4/5 both have Hoffman side bars so are self spacing and frame spacing is not normally changed as they fill with honey - although it is possible to do this, spacing by hand if you wished.

Welcome to the 21st Century - there are still lots of beekeepers using frames like DN1 and plastic and even metal ends. No doubt they will come leaping to the defence of these antiquated techniques but the rest of the world moved on years ago, but as always the UK lags behind.*

*If the above sounds a bit peevish I apologise. Today is apparently the most depressing day of the year.

 

[MuswellMetro]

this may help, or confuse you even more, see the link

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/bsframedesignations.html

DN5 are better than DN4 ,so if you paid for DN4, you got a better deal as they give less brace comb, i use 14x12 jumbo with the N5 top bar but must admit a few narrower N4 top bars have crept in when i have run out of N5

SN4 , it horse for courses, i am a SN1 user with wide spacers which allows me to vary the spacing from 37mm to 44mm wheras SN4 are fixed at 35mm spacing, but to extract i have to remove the spacers, just what i was taught

$hornes
second's, very good but just insure no knots at the weak points at bearing end, out of 50 SN1 i expect to throw away one or two top bars, if they breaking in an extractor ,can be messy