Re'invent the wheel

[wightbees]

So I have made it a little bigger what am I on about! Basically I have made some NAT BB slightly bigger so I'm not squeezing 12 frames in, but they fit smoothly, I can see any probs with this but I'm sure the bees will let me know. Any thoughts on this?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Go a bit further and make it a few frames more and you'll have a long hive

 

[sherwood]

So I have made it a little bigger what am I on about! Basically I have made some NAT BB slightly bigger so I'm not squeezing 12 frames in, but they fit smoothly, I can see any probs with this but I'm sure the bees will let me know. Any thoughts on this?

Whats the point now your supers are incompatable? If there short of brood space either give them a second brood box or nove them onto commercial frames and brood boxes or if you haven't already move to extra deeps.

 

[alfazer]

If your frames are a loose fit now, they might not fit so smoothly when you go to pull them back out again. The bees will have filled the gaps with propolis and the frames will stick together worse than ever.
There's a reason why frames need to be a tight fit.

Will your queen excluder and supers still fit?

 

[wightbees]

Supers will be fine, trust me there's only a small differences I can't see why the supers should not work. We are only talking about 5mm lol

 

[pargyle]

Go a bit further and make it a few frames more and you'll have a long hive

Go for it ... two brood boxes side by side ... 20 odd frames - or even three and nearly 30 frames ... works a treat. You always have enough space to slide them sideways and lift them out ... bees love them as well !

 

[Millet]

Supers will be fine, trust me there's only a small differences I can't see why the supers should not work. We are only talking about 5mm lol

Will a dummy board still fit.

 

[wightbees]

The idea is not to need them as it is now 12 frames , with out forcing 12th in.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

So I have made it a little bigger what am I on about! Basically I have made some NAT BB slightly bigger so I'm not squeezing 12 frames in, but they fit smoothly, I can see any probs with this but I'm sure the bees will let me know. Any thoughts on this?

Give It a year and you tell us.

 

[protheroe]

I now make my broods at 17mm thickness so I don't have to squeeze the twelth frame in.

 

[Beefriendly]

The idea is not to need them as it is now 12 frames , with out forcing 12th in.

Is this Hoffman frames and National hive sizes? If so most use the standard 11 plus a dummy board. Gives some space for inspections.
In a few months you will even struggle to get the dummy board in as the edges get waxed/propolised.
Hoffman spacing is slightly smaller than using plastic ends which fit a tight 11 frames to a national. Bees don't seem to care which you use.

 

[colinc]

Is this Hoffman frames and National hive sizes? If so most use the standard 11 plus a dummy board. Gives some space for inspections.

In a few months you will even struggle to get the dummy board in as the edges get waxed/propolised.

Hoffman spacing is slightly smaller than using plastic ends which fit a tight 11 frames to a national. Bees don't seem to care which you use.

His BB is bigger, he has created new box dimensions to hold his 12 frames


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[mikepetty]

The idea is not to need them as it is now 12 frames , with out forcing 12th in.

The whole idea of the dummy board in the twelfth space is to be able to remove the DB without rolling the bees. With twelve frames just fitting into the BB, the first frame removed will roll the bees.

 

[colinc]

Hence Wheel and reinvention of it.


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[wightbees]

Yes Beefriendly , it's Hoffman 35 mm x12 . Sure I read Lang's use 35 mm and no Dummy Board? So if that right what's the fuss about doing the same in nats ? Any how I love trying things out, so what the hell

 

[colinc]

If everyone accepted the norm and didn't try new things we would still be swinging in trees [emoji106]


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[mjt68]

The whole idea of the dummy board in the twelfth space is to be able to remove the DB without rolling the bees. With twelve frames just fitting into the BB, the first frame removed will roll the bees.

Yes Beefriendly , it's Hoffman 35 mm x12 . Sure I read Lang's use 35 mm and no Dummy Board? So if that right what's the fuss about doing the same in nats ? Any how I love trying things out, so what the hell

Langstroths don't use a dummy board (at least mine don't) and no problems. I'll never understand nationals....

 

[sherwood]

Whats the point now your supers are incompatable? If there short of brood space either give them a second brood box or nove them onto commercial frames and brood boxes or if you haven't already move to extra deeps.

My apologigies I had not realised you meant such a small change but rather a significant increase in frame numbers so essentially you have changed to the dimensions of a a commercial hive without increasing the depth. I regularly put 12 frames into my commercials, if you want to maintain the space can I suggest petrolium jelly on the hoffman facings this avoids the laying down of propalis.

 

[wightbees]

I will try that Sherwood, worth a try thanks.

 

[Finman]

Langstroths don't use a dummy board (at least mine don't) and no problems. I'll never understand nationals....

Dummy board is normal apparatus in langstroth and in every hive types.