Super frames

[Black Comb]

Hooper recommends Manley (I bought some) but my hives came with Hofmanns.

Just brought back 2 hives from the heather - one H and one M.

Both supers were nearly full. 10 Hofmanns contained honey and 8 were fully capped. 7 Manleys contained honey and only 2 were fully capped. The Manley's contained more honey per frame than the hofmanns but because they are deeper they take more filling, therefore capping is later.

As a newish beek I hope to have a decent honey crop next year (generally, not just heather) but haven't much drawn so which do you think I should opt for?

 

[beebreeder]

SN1'S with castellated runners in super boxes only, less frames to extract and deep combs that dont swing when transported by vehicle, the frames are also cheaper than hoffmans, you can go 9 or 10 frames in a national super.
kev

 

[Midland Beek]

because they are deeper they take more filling, therefore capping is later.?

Capping may be later in a Manley super not necessarily becaue the frames are deeper and take more filling.

I use MD Manley and dislike the double-walled effect created.

 

[Poly Hive]

I vote for Manleys every time and part of the reason for using them in a timber hive is precisely the double wall effect. Manley designed them for that.

I like them as there are fewer in the super, and so less to extract when I did that, and now because they give the best cut comb.

If I were starting again I would have a handful of Hoffmans to intersperse to get the Manleys drawn and the rest would all be Manley.

Re the difference in capping, I suspect the odds lie in the colony not the frame.

PH

 

[Michaelf]

I use SN1 also with a castellated runner which holds 10 frames, I have found they draw the wax out better like that.