Top v bottom bee space

[Hawklord]

the slotted zinc QE's aren't framed, that's the distinction I was making.

Like a turd flavoured condom - they don't come (forgive the pun) in that flavour, you have to add your own.

 

[tonybloke]

Surely Queen excluders are framed regardless of whether top or bottom bee space is used?

not seen anyone frame a slotted zinc QE, have you?

sorry about your interest, r.e.turd-flavoured condoms, something you want to share?

 

[Hawklord]

not seen anyone frame a slotted zinc QE, have you?

I have and that's why I presumed that they would all be framed, apart from those who don't know how or can't be bothered to make the frame. If you don't use a framed excluder do you find it gets stuck to the frames? I've also seen a guy using BBS with a bee space on both sides of the excluder and then wondered why bees built so much wax through the excluder.

 

[victor meldrew]

Framing a slotted zinc excluder requires a stiffener across the middle ,otherwise it sags in the centre, thus nullifying the purpose of the frame work in the first place.

John Wilkinson

 

[Hawklord]

The slotted type sag whether a frame is used or not. Although the heavy duty ones from NBS don't.

 

[victor meldrew]

The slotted type sag whether a frame is used or not. Although the heavy duty ones from NBS don't.

Only on a top Space Hive

John Wilkinson

 

[tonybloke]

Only on a top Space Hive

John Wilkinson

Yay!! at least someone knows what I'm on about. framed, wire excluders needed on TBS, flexible slotted zinc plzted ones on a BBS.

 

[Hawklord]

Yay!! at least someone knows what I'm on about. framed, wire excluders needed on TBS, flexible slotted zinc plzted ones on a BBS.

Absolutely fantastic. The bees then build wax and propolize the excluder to the top of the frames. Beekeeper then comes along and prizes the excluder off thus making the slots wider and rendering the excluder useless.

After a discussion with Peter Hewitt earlier this week I have decided to try and source some stainlees wire excluders, he said none of the others lasted as long or were as easy to clean.

 

[victor meldrew]

Absolutely fantastic. The bees then build wax and propolize the excluder to the top of the frames. Beekeeper then comes along and prizes the excluder off thus making the slots wider and rendering the excluder useless.

After a discussion with Peter Hewitt earlier this week I have decided to try and source some stainlees wire excluders, he said none of the others lasted as long or were as easy to clean.

Is Peter still lecturing on wax production/ foundation making?.
Years ago I attended a very interesting demo of his , both amusing entertaining and informative , if it's the same guy ,he's a character. Used to hail from around Bronte country if I remember correctly .

John Wilkinson

 

[Hebeegeebee]

I've got hives with a bottom space and have slotted steel, plastic and wire framed excluders and the bees tend to stick and wax all of them! You just have to be careful that you don't ping loads of bees in the air when pulling up the flexible ones too quickly!

Relating to the bee space thing, I have Nats and WBC's. Under a WBC brood box there is just a bee space between it and the floor. Under the Nats there's about 20 mm which is a lot more that a bee space. Fine to allow queen cells to hang down but if you then want to put that brood chamber on another you have to chop off all the lower hanging comb. Why do Nats have such a space?

Adam

 

[oliver90owner]

The solid floors on Nationals were often two way affairs, depending on whether you wanted a 22 or 8-11(?)mm entrance. The space above is not normally worth them building down there - not really any brood space - so they leave it alone mostly. Not all standard brood boxes are the standard depth either. I think the bees will likely leave a bigger space with OMFs than with solid floors (which needed more summer ventilation?).

I daresay they never really envisaged double broods when the committee standardised the format in the 1920s. They had the jumbo version for larger broods, but that was not popular and most went for a brood and a half, if and when needed.

I have never seriously bent or deformed a Q/E when removing it. Peeling it off is a better term than 'pinging'. Anyhow, I usually use wire excluders now, and a WBC slotted on a Dartington if I think it necessary, which it is most likely not (usually). Some bees use more propolis than honey stored it seems!; they designed the hive tools for scraping duties so it is not a new phenomenon.

Regards, RAB

 

[BKF Admin]

o90o I have an old WBC with a solid floor,it has a flap on the back about 2 inches high with locks on,do you think it would of been for ventilation?

 

[oliver90owner]

Admin,

Sorry, I would not have a clue!

Regards, RAB

 

[johnandyrob]

Brother Adam converted all his hives from top to bottom bee space

 

[ElectricBlueBee]

If brother adamn jumped off a cliff...

I would just like to insert a mini rant that E-bay sellers of hives don't appear to note whether their hives are BBS or TBS. On asking two different suppliers of the same type of hive, one had bottom and one had top >:-I

 

[Tom Bick]

Do they not offer either depending on your requirements

 

[victor meldrew]

If brother adamn jumped off a cliff...

I would just like to insert a mini rant that E-bay sellers of hives don't appear to note whether their hives are BBS or TBS. On asking two different suppliers of the same type of hive, one had bottom and one had top >:-I

The national hive is bottom bee space , the commercial hive is top bee space , the langsroth hive is top bee space .
As long as the hive for sale is standard for it's type , there's no need to specify .
A little research would save your frustration .

John Wilkinson

 

[Tom Bick]

The national hive is bottom bee space , the commercial hive is top bee space , the langsroth hive is top bee space .
As long as the hive for sale is standard for it's type , there's no need to specify .
A little research would save your frustration .

John Wilkinson

Yes but its not set in stone.
With small adjustments to the hive top or bottom bee space can be applied to any of the hives above to fit the customers requirements.
This is of course one is talking timber hives other materials may not be so forgiving.

 

[RoofTops]

Brither Adam didn't convert all his hives. I have two old Dadants recently pensioned off from the Abbey as they were rotten. I was surprised to find when I took the crown board off it is bottom bee space. The frames are flush with the top of the brood chamber and the crown board has a wooden rim to produce the bee space beneath it.

 

[victor meldrew]

Yes but its not set in stone.
With small adjustments to the hive top or bottom bee space can be applied to any of the hives above to fit the customers requirements.
This is of course one is talking timber hives other materials may not be so forgiving.

I suppose they should also provide double glazing !

John Wilkinson