Thorne budget hives

[Erichalfbee]

Yes, dummy board pushed right against the frames. Will still leave a bit of a gap twixt board and wall of hive but the bees will ignore this.
When you inspect lift dummy out. Slide first frame towards you and lift out. Some people leave this frame out too while inspecting.

 

[taurus]

I will stop running about in a panic.

(I had had a bit of Theakston's Old Peculiar so was a bit worried I'd done something dumb.)

 

[pargyle]

I will stop running about in a panic.

(I had had a bit of Theakston's Old Peculiar so was a bit worried I'd done something dumb.)

If you have a look at the Mann Lake website at their budget complete hive they actually ship it complete with a dummy board.

 

[Millet]

I will stop running about in a panic.

(I had had a bit of Theakston's Old Peculiar so was a bit worried I'd done something dumb.)

I don't know if you have read this or even if it is any help to you but here you go.

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=35916

 

[taurus]

I don't know if you have read this or even if it is any help to you but here you go.

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=35916

Ah yes - I'd read that, just didn't realise I needed one in there. I shall be off to B&Q to buy something to make one out of.

It makes sense - but none of the books I'd read so far were very clear about it. I guess it's obvious when you know about it but to a beginner it's a learning curve.

 

[pargyle]

..... but to a beginner it's a learning curve.

It's a learning curve for most people, not just beginners ... when you think you know everything about beekeeping you are probably too old to keep bees ....

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Yes, dummy board pushed right against the frames. Will still leave a bit of a gap twixt board and wall of hive but the bees will ignore this.
When you inspect lift dummy out. Slide first frame towards you and lift out. Some people leave this frame out too while inspecting.

- piece of 8 to 10mm ply (or a bit of fascia board as Millet found out) with a 10mm square lath pinned to the top as a topbar is all you need - make it the same width and depth as a standard frame

 

[Millet]

- piece of 8 to 10mm ply (or a bit of fascia board as Millet found out) with a 10mm square lath pinned to the top as a topbar is all you need - make it the same width and depth as a standard frame

Brood frame maybe,

 

[Millet]

Sorry pink it's a nice colour but damn hard to see, i like pink me.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Brood frame maybe,

No, pointless - you just want something completely flat that will sit up tight against the last frame and become 'the wall' but still have beespace all round so the bees don't glue it to the side walls

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Sorry pink it's a nice colour but damn hard to see, i like pink me.

Bit like the matelot's dilemma when playing snooker - do you go for the pink or the brown?

 

[BeeJayBee]

I then assembled 11 Hoffman DN4 frames - assuming they would fill the brood box completely. They don't - with the frames pushed up again one side there is gap at the other of 1 1/4 inches.

From what I've read bees will fill any gap with comb - so am I meant to put something in that gap or do you position the frames centrally in the brood box leaving a slight gap at each end?

You can centre the frames and most likely they won't build extra comb to the outside, they don't with mine and there's more than 5/8 gap to either side of the block of frames forming the brood nest.

You can leave a 'half hoffman' gap between the outer face of the outside frame and the dummy frame, which will encourage the bees to fully use that frame.

You can push the dummy frame close up against the outer frame and hope they'll fully draw and use it, sometimes they won't.

 

[taurus]

My daughter bought a house last October and the 'For Sale' sign was still outside.... until this morning - when I realised that the Correx sign would make an ideal dummy board...

The sign was the type made out of two sheets of Correx with a pole in the middle. I just cut the outer section using the existing joint so each dummy board is double skinned.

I made two but if they are both used it makes a very snug fit - probably a bit too snug?

Next thing is to make a nuc out of some 12mm ply

 

[alldigging]

My daughter bought a house last October and the 'For Sale' sign was still outside.... until this morning - when I realised that the Correx sign would make an ideal dummy board...

You can make temporary roofs out of them too. But they need holding down as neighbours don't return them when they go in their garden.

 

[protheroe]

OK - silly question time

I have put one of the brood boxes together - it fits perfectly on the floor and matches the framed wire excluder & crown board - so it's the right size and shape.

I then assembled 11 Hoffman DN4 frames - assuming they would fill the brood box completely. They don't - with the frames pushed up again one side there is gap at the other of 1 1/4 inches.

From what I've read bees will fill any gap with comb - so am I meant to put something in that gap or do you position the frames centrally in the brood box leaving a slight gap at each end?

I use 12 frames a box.

 

[iand]

I use 12 frames a box.

I agree

 

[Millet]

I agree

I pushed my luck and jammed 12 frames in the brood box also, by the time the end of August arrived it became apparent why i should have used 11 frames and a dummy board, i don't know how many bees i will have rolled and maybe killed trying to get that first frame out that was stuck in like super glue with propolis, after going to 11 frames and using a dummy board it give me space to inspect the frames without potentially rolling and killing the Queen.

 

[Millet]

Bit like the matelot's dilemma when playing snooker - do you go for the pink or the brown?

Never go brown, potting the pink is better it gets you more brownie points in more way s than one..

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Never, ever use 12 frames in a box.
It's awkward for the beekeeper but, more importantly, it damages bees by rolling and leads to damaged equipment.

Always use a dummy board.

Dusty

 

[Hivemaker.]

Rather depends on what frame spacing is being used.