nonstandard
Field Bee
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2009
- Messages
- 621
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- North Derbyshire UK
- Hive Type
- 14x12
- Number of Hives
- 9 colonies & 2 nucs
I'm in the middle of refurbing an old WBC hive, I have had to build a new floor as per the BBKA WBC plans with the addition of a OMF.
I am at present looking at the brood box, I have extended the sides to take 14 x 12 frames to match my other hives. However, I am struggling with the detail for the bottom edges of the side walls (which bear the frame lugs). The existing brood and supers that I have and all the photos that I can find simply have a 16mm square fill strip across the bottom edge and they sit straight on top of the floor or box below. What is confusing me is the BBKA plans show a 10 mm thick strip on the bottom of the side walls set to give 6mm bee-space over the frame lugs below.
I have attached a diagram of the boxes I have and a snippet from the BBKA plans.
My question is, are these strips necessary or is more recent practice to leave them out? I'm assuming if I leave them out there is just an increased risk of the bees propalising the bottom of the higher boxes to the frame lugs of the lower boxes.
My other question is about the way the brood box sits on the floor. I have built the floor with the bearer strips and wedges as per the plans and I intend to cut a strip of wood to fill the gap between the front edge of the brood box and the hive entrance thus making a tunnel and preventing the bees going up between the lifts and the brood box. I was wondering does the brood box just sit on the floor strips butted up against the tunnel strip or does anyone use strips or blocks to help position the brood box correctly onto the floor?
I am at present looking at the brood box, I have extended the sides to take 14 x 12 frames to match my other hives. However, I am struggling with the detail for the bottom edges of the side walls (which bear the frame lugs). The existing brood and supers that I have and all the photos that I can find simply have a 16mm square fill strip across the bottom edge and they sit straight on top of the floor or box below. What is confusing me is the BBKA plans show a 10 mm thick strip on the bottom of the side walls set to give 6mm bee-space over the frame lugs below.
I have attached a diagram of the boxes I have and a snippet from the BBKA plans.
My question is, are these strips necessary or is more recent practice to leave them out? I'm assuming if I leave them out there is just an increased risk of the bees propalising the bottom of the higher boxes to the frame lugs of the lower boxes.
My other question is about the way the brood box sits on the floor. I have built the floor with the bearer strips and wedges as per the plans and I intend to cut a strip of wood to fill the gap between the front edge of the brood box and the hive entrance thus making a tunnel and preventing the bees going up between the lifts and the brood box. I was wondering does the brood box just sit on the floor strips butted up against the tunnel strip or does anyone use strips or blocks to help position the brood box correctly onto the floor?
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