WBC or National?

[victor meldrew]

The boxes of a wbc are usually constructed of quite thin timber as they have protection around them . Gingernut , the bees do have access to the space between box and lifts ?.
My mate used to pack this space with newspaper as part of his "getting ready for Winter" routine.
I have seen a bridge constructed to deny access but this was never part of the original design.

John Wilkinson

 

[GingerNut]

The boxes of a wbc are usually constructed of quite thin timber as they have protection around them . Gingernut , the bees do have access to the space between box and lifts ?.
My mate used to pack this space with newspaper as part of his "getting ready for Winter" routine.
I have seen a bridge constructed to deny access but this was never part of the original design.

John Wilkinson

There is no access to the space in my WBC.

Yours Roy

 

[JCBrum]

JCB

Splitting hairs I know but it may be important:

Ref the internal dimensions for WBC lifts. Your external sizing of 505mm agrees with the plans shown on the Scottish Beekeepers site, but using the standard 5/8" (16mm) thickness wood, this would reduce the internal size to 473mm, or 6-7mm greater than a Nat.

Add a few coats of paint and warping and cutting tolerances and this is quite close.

Buzz your arithmetic is correct, but still provides a clear space all round of more than a 1/4 inch at the top of the lift, and much more at the bottom.

The lift that I actually measured was made from 1/2 inch (12mm) material, and would be quite adequate with a National Interior.

WBC lifts are far from interchangeable between different manufactures but modern ones are to a closer standard than old ones.

Incidentally most WBC's are defective in that the bees have access to the interior above the entrance. They are not supposed to be like that. My diagram, which is pre-war clearly shows a bridge piece to seal the entrance slot from the interior of the lift.

I have not had the opportinity to examine a Thornes one closely, but Maisemore WBC's have this bridge piece feature, and it is not difficult to add to an existing hive.

 

[Hombre]

There is no access to the space in my WBC.

Clarification:

Incidentally most WBC's are defective in that the bees have access to the interior above the entrance. They are not supposed to be like that. My diagram, which is pre-war clearly shows a bridge piece to seal the entrance slot from the interior of the lift.

Yours Roy

Defective by design, not actually built to the full WBC spec?

 

[JCBrum]

Not sure what you mean Hombre ?

I think WBC's in the original design prevented bees having access to the interior of the lifts from the entrance.

But they seem to have been able to exit the boxes by gaps at the frame ends.

I suspect that the WBC has been modified in small details like this by the various individual manufacturers over the last 100 years or so.

Certainly when I have questioned beeks who have been using WBC's for periods of up to 50 years, they all swear 'their' WBC is the only 'proper, one and who am I to argue ? I've only been looking at them for about 1 year.

In practice it doesn't seem to matter much whether the bees have access to the lift interior or not, they concentrate their efforts on the frames and comb until they run out of space, then they build anywhere ! ..... It probably helps prevent swarms or something like that. Ha Ha.

 

[lazybee]

I just found this thread.

Why not paint up a nice looking WBC and put it in the front garden just use the lifts with no internals. Then you can have some Dadants round the back

"simples"

 

[RoofTops]

I agree, a WBC makes a good garden ornament. You can also use them as a compost bin, wormery or even as a bait hive. Those who like to make beekeeping as difficult as possible also use them as beehives I believe.

 

[hedgerow pete]

i have a pair of wbc hives inside each one is a 12 x 14 national brood box with national supers on top

 

[BKF Admin]

I put a dozen mouse guards on hives in an out apiary on Wednesday,the only one I never did was the WBC,one because I never used any smoke and did not want to take apart a WBC without any puffing and two I have to use a cut down mousguard in the slot that I had left in the car.

 

[hedgerow pete]

i belive its called murphy's law, or is it lump of turf law

 

[plumber]

mouse guard

a tip off an old beekeeper use old Q/E cut in strips (zinc type) pined to the hive but cut through one section in the centre and bend out, the idea being if your girls start to collect pollen they will us the centre hole and not lose the pollen

 

[richcamp]

Hi,

We are recomending Commercial and Langstroth hives as these provide bigger brood area with fewer frames.
We are also trying out Polystyrene Langstroth hives.

Regard

rich

 

[oliver90owner]

We are recomending

Who are we?

Would you have a financial interest in this recommendation?

We are debating the question of WBCs or Nationals, without need of an interuption with discussion of other hive types. A lot of us are recommending Nationals as they have a large brood area with few frames when in Jumbo format.

RAB

 

[RoofTops]

RAB - you're not related to Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged are you? I only ask because this Douglas Adams character set out on a mission to insult everyone in the Universe and to do it alphabetical order. I can only asume your take on this is to insult people by interest or profession, e.g. in an earlier part of your life you insulted architects, artists, astronomers etc and have now got down to things beginning with the letter B, in our case beekeepers.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

without need of an interuption with discussion of other hive types.
RAB

Please remember your quote when you barge in on the Beehaus section!

 

[Black Comb]

Jim, have you bought 6 beehaus's?
(sorry haven't looked in beehaus section)

 

[oliver90owner]

I asked a rather straight question. The poster has not responded. I might possibly be drawn to the conclusion that he/she is selling hives? When a post like that arrives telling something different with no reason, it has a definite aroma of an advert (to me).

We know there is little difference between a National and these other formats apart from frame length-to-depth ratios. Perhaps these people posting are speaking for a BKA. I would doubt it but they may even be in my local BKA.

Even an omlette is closer than either of these other two formats (I noticed that Jim soon got his plug in about that). If they are a supplier I might be interested in their wares, just being down the road, rather than Wragby, at about 70 miles.

Jim - please remember I have had far more experience with the wooden Dartington than you have had with your plastic one. So far, as I see it, I think my wooden ones are superior, in many ways, to the plastic beetainer. I have yet to be convinced otherwise and am still waiting to see (or hear of) any striking advantages of the plastic version over my Dartingtons.

Sorry for the possible harsh wording, but need to leave for work soon. BFN

Regards, RAB

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Oliver

To use the word superior is a very arrogant word! People who have and will buy the beehaus will because they do not want the “traditional” hive, and to them the Dartington or any other hive is not want they want.

As you have said you have not seen a beehaus in the flesh, and are only viewing it in your “superior” eyes, and not the eyes of the people that buy them.

I think we all accept the beehaus is based on the Dartington design, but possibly like TV’s (as an example) why are there so many variations of basically the same thing?

Please provide a list of your superior point of the Dartington over the beehaus, discounting cost.

No one is trying to convince you to get a beehaus!

 

[RoofTops]

The poster has not responded.

I suspect given the response to only their third post I would not be surprised to learn they had decided to pull stumps on this forum.

I have a fair idea based on richcamp's location that the "we" is indeed a beekeeping association and to avoid offending anyone further I will not elaborate why I know that.

 

[Poly Hive]

Going slightly off topic it is just a bit amusing to find that Associations are now just dipping a toe in the world of Poly after some 20 years plus of them being available.

At the end of the day hive choice is personal. It all depends on the person, the bee type, location and what ever pressure there might be to have a pretty hive.

So long as the bees and keeper are happy.

PH