spacers

[Frisbee]

I never tried the hot air for a very simple reason, I wanted to trim the combs well back in the extraction process, (talking Manleys here) so as to give the wax builders work the next season.
PH

I trimmed after I had extracted, which I suppose gives the same results

Why any novice has now got frames requiring manual spacing is beyond me totally. I spent years getting rid of plastic and tin plate spacers, pinning and gluing bits of wood to frames to "Manley" them,

I've never gone into the difference in frames.........I do as I am told until such times as I can see through the fog I use SN1's for the super, can you tell me please what is the difference between those and Manleys?

Because Thornes make too much money out of this nonsense.

If the suppliers for the good of the craft said right that's that we are not supplying this rubbish any more then thie issue would be resolved over night.

Thorne's are a business, while there is a demand, they will keep on supplying. It's the Beeks who are at fault (if there is one) not the people who are doing the supplying

There's more than one way of making money out of a goldmine, you don't have to dig, you can supply the spades............................

Frisbee

 

[Frisbee]

Thanks Frisbee, I appreciate the detail.

You're welcome

I have learned a much this year as a total newbee and made a few mistakes, but am having a great year working with my mentor and getting lots of experience. More than enough to make me aware of my own shortcomings.

I'm only in my third year, and this is the first time I will get a respectable amount of honey. For the last two years I have been content to keep my bees alive and just learn..........
This week I have learnt 2 important things:-

1. If you want to mark a queen and are using a crown of thorns cage, make sure it is also you who is holding the frame

2 Don't pick up the horse muck after you have inspected the hives, well you can but you need to wear a bee suit

I'll have a play with a hot wire and at such time as it's had an outing I will report back my experience, admitting failure if it turns out to be a rubbish idea for me. I'll take a chance with half a frame after some testing on polystyrene first.

I think in theory it's a good idea, in practice however it may be different. You need a base for the wire - to hold it at one end. You need a way to heat it. You need to be able to hold the frame still while it goes through.........and honey does get everywhere. I'd be interested to hear what you come up with though

I suspect that you are a much more proficient wood worker than myself. Al fresco woodwork puts me and my timetable at the mercy of the weather, available time and even staying awake after all my learning experience.

I'm all self taught..............my girls secondary modern school didn't have woodwork on the timetable...............but...........I bought a circular saw last week from my local car-boot, bargain at £8........ it means I can finally cut wood with a 90o angle on the cut. Yesterday I was dividing up a brood box so I can rear some queens...............today I am making strawberry jam

Have a good season, hopefully it's still got a way to go yet.

Thank you, and you too

Frisbee

 

[Poly Hive]

Any teacher can tell you what the answer is. The good ones try to get you to find out for yourself.

Look up Thornes catalogue.

PH

 

[jon]

1. If you want to mark a queen and are using a crown of thorns cage, make sure it is also you who is holding the frame

I use a cage like this and I find it easier to rest the frame with the queen gently on top of the other frames in the colony before trapping the queen in the cage. Wait till the queen is near the centre of the frame before setting it down or she will leg it back into the box before you get the cage down. That way noone has to hold it and there is no chance of dropping the queen. After you have applied the marker, raise the cage slightly to release her and wait for a minute until the paint dries.

 

[clodhopper]

Spacer and Frames

Hi all just thought I would add my six pennith, First I use plastic spacers on metal runners in the National brood box's and Hoffman self spacing frames in commerercial brood box's, I use all national supers and this year for the first time I started using Manley self spacing frames ten in a super with DRONE wax !! next season they will be drawn enough to use metal nine space casterllations as my extractor is Thornes nine frame.

 

[oliver90owner]

I'm with PH - mostly. I still use up some of my plastic or steel spacers in supers but all are Hoffman self spacing in broods. Can't risk moving a box with frames that can shift around.

When I buy more super frames they may be self-spacing but being able to space the frames wider as choice is something to think about......

I have used castellations and was not impressed. Spacing might be regular but getting the frames out is a bind (having to remove every one vertically rather than being able to move them (all but one) horizontally first. More difficult if propolis is plastered everywhere by the bees.

Decapping frames:

Hot wire? I would think forget it. Cold, wet honey is not like cutting polystyrene sheets with a hot wire. Never tried it and don't want to.

I scratch my frames with a decapping fork. Works for me. Little lost honey, no propolis on the floor, no cappings to catch. Downside is lots of cappings to separate when running the honey into buckets from the spinner and more cleaning of the spinner. The cappings are easy enough to deal with once trapped on a seive but slower than cutting off the cappings. But with more honey I would go back to another alternative.

Frames can get too big but can be trimmed if you want neat frames, but I reckon the less wax to draw (for the bees) and the max amount of honey per frame (for me) the better. Can't do that so easily with castellations! And, yes, drone comb is even better for supers.

Everyone will have their way of doing things, some by being told that is the way it is done or, like me, think about or try anything that might be an improvement and then make up my mind. I happen to think the Dartington hive is a good idea in some ways, but I do not want to be extacting too many 14 x 12s tangentially as a hobby! Standardisation in equipment is far more important than the actual method you use for each operation.

Then, while on spacers, what about top and bottom space boxes. Tried both. Settled on top space. Castellations are even less of a starter with top space.

Regards, RAB

 

[buzzy bee]

Hi

Just forget about spacers, castleations and self spacing frames. Self spacing frames are too dear when you have allot of frames, in my oppinion.

Cheers

Dave

 

[JCBrum]

Hi

Just forget about spacers, castleations and self spacing frames.

Dave

So what should we use then ????

 

[bobandbec]

Used spacers when I started but they are more trouble than they are worth especially in supers. Just space the frames in supers by eye depending on how drawn they are. I don't trim them right back as I prefer to give the bees the minimum amount of wax building to do. Wax is honey.
Also the premium paid for self spacers is a con. After a couple of seasons you'll know the spacing needed without the need for either spacers or self spacing frames.
My spacers are all in a plastic box in my shed.

Peter

 

[JCBrum]

Hmmm, yes I see. I think I've seen Hedgerow Pete do it like that as well, particularly in the Brood Box.

I'll buy some plain frames next time and see how I get on.

Should I get wide or narrow top bars ?

 

[Queen B]

Spacing super frames by eye is all very well, until you have to lift off the super to do an inspection, when the frames can end up at all sorts of funny spacings and angles. My newer frames are Hoffman but all the old stuff relys on metal ends or castellations (which I don't like particularly). Uncapping: I use a large roasting tin with a piece of wood across the top, rest the frame with one lug and bottom corner on the edge of the wood, and slice down the cappings with a serrated knife. I prefer ones that are drawn out beyond the wood of the frame, as I pare off less wood from the frame that way!

 

[Bcrazy]

Spacers;
My thoughts about spacers:
We are talking spacers not frames.

Plastic – large – small – rubbish they are there to collect pathogens that can be harmful to bees. Also the bees will cover them in wax and any other muck they can find. Difficult to clean whilst on the frame.

Yorkshire spacers – metal – OK but tend to bend if not tapped into the frame correctly. Does not clog up.

Metal ended spacers – not as common as they once where but again the bees would clag up the surrounding area and they would be difficult to clean.

Screw or studs – these were made by screwing or hammering the stud into the frame work and hopefully they would be about the same size. No longer in use.

Castellated spacers – metal – these uniformly set the frames into equal distance apart and should only be used in supers.

Regards;