The Brynmair slant on the Dartington Underfloor entrance

[Erichalfbee]

Ah
That will teach me to watch till the end. Watched only the first two
Sorry

 

[Newbeeneil]

Ah
That will teach me to watch till the end. Watched only the first two
Sorry

I think we guessed that

 

[Mellifera Crofter]

JBM gets recognition! ...

JBM’s drawings are nice and useful - but as far as I know, he did not develop the National floor based on a Dartington underfloor entrance, and that the impression he gives here is wrong. I’ve been aware of them, and bought one, years before he published his drawings here. I’ve now twice asked him what he means by his ‘slant’ on a Dartington floor, but he simply deletes my questions (the first time after hurling abuse at me).

 

[Erichalfbee]

I think we guessed that

Yep.

 

[Erichalfbee]

JBM’s drawings are nice and useful - but as far as I know, he did not develop the National floor based on a Dartington underfloor entrance, and that the impression he gives here is wrong. I’ve been aware of them, and bought one, years before he published his drawings here. I’ve now twice asked him what he means by his ‘slant’ on a Dartington floor, but he simply deletes my questions (the first time after hurling abuse at me).

Kitta give it a rest
PM sent.

 

[pargyle]

JBM’s drawings are nice and useful - but as far as I know, he did not develop the National floor based on a Dartington underfloor entrance, and that the impression he gives here is wrong. I’ve been aware of them, and bought one, years before he published his drawings here. I’ve now twice asked him what he means by his ‘slant’ on a Dartington floor, but he simply deletes my questions (the first time after hurling abuse at me).

If he didn't ... who did ? I haven't seen any drawings prior to JBM's of this style of entrance. I am aware that Roger Dartington's original idea was for his long hive and there is evidence of underfloor entrances back in the 1970's but there are no documented plans that precede JBM's....for it to be used for a National hive ...

What exactly is your point ?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I’m twisting Stan’s arm to make me two with solid floors. I’m thinking of adding insulation with a @Swarm slant

 

[Anduril]

If he didn't ... who did ? I haven't seen any drawings prior to JBM's of this style of entrance. I am aware that Roger Dartington's original idea was for his long hive and there is evidence of underfloor entrances back in the 1970's but there are no documented plans that precede JBM's....for it to be used for a National hive ...

What exactly is your point ?

Also called a Kewl floor on this Forum. Kewl floors - The Apiarist

 

[pargyle]

Also called a Kewl floor on this Forum. Kewl floors - The Apiarist

Yes ... I don't know where the name came from and even Graham White (Edinburgh Beekeepers) who documented mesh floors and U/F 'Dartington inspired entrances' acknowledges that he doesn't know where the name came from .... but all that was in 2013 after JBM had already started using them ...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Also called a Kewl floor on this Forum. Kewl floors - The Apiarist

The significan difference being that the Kewl floor, rather than having a high 'lobby' area. has one not much wider than the entrance gap (in all of the ones I have seen anyway) so you have a very narrow L shaped entrance passage - definitely mouse proof and gives you what is basically a wide tunnel entrance so would really b*gger up wasps as well

 

[Newbeeneil]

The significan difference being that the Kewl floor, rather than having a high 'lobby' area. has one not much wider than the entrance gap (in all of the ones I have seen anyway) so you have a very narrow L shaped entrance passage - definitely mouse proof and gives you what is basically a wide tunnel entrance so would really b*gger up wasps as well

My first underfloor entrances were Kewl type floors with 7mm "L" shaped entrances but these were not good if the bees didn't clear corpses during the winter as the entrances could get blocked. (Angled length of dowsing rod clears them a treat ) my later ones have angled landing boards with an foyer which narrows from 40mm to 7 before turning up.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

My first underfloor entrances were Kewl type floors with 7mm "L" shaped entrances but these were not good if the bees didn't clear corpses during the winter

That's why I was uncomfortable with them and made the 'lobby' which are either 50 or 75 (my preferred) millimetres high with just the 8mm slot in the floor

 

[Swarm]

I’m twisting Stan’s arm to make me two with solid floors. I’m thinking of adding insulation with a @Swarm slant

Now that he's done the overhead vaping ekes. no problem with vaping.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

I’m twisting Stan’s arm to make me two with solid floors. I’m thinking of adding insulation with a @Swarm slant

But how are you going have the fun of counting mites if you've got a solid floor?

I made my UFEs before JBM produced his excellent drawings. They were based on Graham White's design here.

At the time, there was a lot of talk about mites crawling from the monitoring board back up into the brood box so my monitoring board is supported on four thin nails driven horizontally into the side members with a 5mm undersized board, leaving a small gap all around the board. To be honest, I'm not sure that mites would ever make that journey, but there you are!

I've come to the conclusion that ventilation in beehives is much over-rated if the hive is properly insulated so I tend to leave by monitoring boards in place over winter. This has the advantage that I can tell by the debris on the board what is happening in the hive and the wind that eddies under the hive does not suck warm air out of the brood box - it has the effect of being like a solid floor but it's removable.

If I were to make some more, I might be tempted to goes for using 6 x 1 timber, rather than 4 x 1, to give a bigger journey for the mites and even less chance of warm air being sucked out of the brood box by wind under the hive.

CVB

 

[BMH]

Not too taken on the design of the supposed 'better' one, what a faff that would be to close up.

The 3rd one is definitely a little more difficult to close up but its just a case of tilting the hive up prior to adding the bung as per the first two or what I normally do is lift the whole hive up and place on a solid crown board before strapping. Either works fine.

99% of my hives use the first design and I have no desire to change them though. The ease of chucking the foam bung in the front is great for migratory beekeeping,

 

[Buzz Off]

Anyway
Thanks for the info on the entrance as I have been looking all over for a simple explanation and dimensions. Loads of photos but not very informative elsewhere online as they show a slot but no real details of sizes. This has helped a lot.

Black Mountain Honey have a good video on YouTube on how to make a modified Darlington Floor giving all the dimensions

 

[Erichalfbee]

Black Mountain Honey have a good video on YouTube on how to make a modified Darlington Floor giving all the dimensions

Yes
POST 74 in this thread

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Black Mountain Honey have a good video on YouTube on how to make a modified Darlington Floor giving all the dimensions

Post #74
Laurence had the plans off me years ago.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Yes
POST 74 in this thread

Post #74
Laurence had the plans off me years ago.

Snap!

 

[BMH]

Snap!

Yep. I always credit @jenkinsbrynmair with the design. I run all my hives on these floors and got the plans direct from @jenkinsbrynmair