Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Thershey on July 08, 2013, 11:56:56 pm
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New keeper question. I've had experienced keepers tell me 9 and others tell me 10 frames in my deep boxes, I'm running 9. Just checked my hives tonight and there is a fair amount of bridge comb towards the top of my frames. Curious what the consensus might be here. Thanks in advance.
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10 frames in brood boxes and 9 frames in honey supers.
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10 frames of foundation.
9 or 10 frames of drawn comb.
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Always start with 10. After frames are drawn and extracted the first time, you can run 9 in the honey supers. This allows the bees to deepen the cells which stores a lot more honey per unit frame. However, for the hobbyist there is no real advantage as the marginal time required to uncap the 10th frame is insignificant and the marginal cost of the 10th frame doesn't really matter. The heavier frames blow out more often.
There is no reason (that I can think of) to ever run 9 in the brood.
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There is no reason (that I can think of) to ever run 9 in the brood.
Dimensions of frames are meant to brood rearing. It is only alternative.
If you use wider space, bees must shorten the long comb cells before the queen can lay into them.
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http://bushfarms.com/beesfaqs.htm#framespacing (http://bushfarms.com/beesfaqs.htm#framespacing)
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Thank you all for the insightful responses. I am using drawn comb, sounds like I might be OK with 9 but I see no reason to allow the extra space.
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NO, read the responses again. 9 is okay in honey supers; however, in brood boxes it is never appropriate.
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>sounds like I might be OK with 9 but I see no reason to allow the extra space.
What you get with 9 frames in the supers is thick, easy to uncap, comb. What you get with 9 frames in the brood nest is uneven comb. This is because brood is a consistent depth and honey is not.
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I run 10-11 in the brood boxes and 8-9 in the supers.
The exceptions are if I'm running frame feeders (Then I run 9 frames with a 2 inch feeder), or on the occasion when I have to run foundation in the super (then I run 10-11 until they are drawn).
It's about what works for you.
I have friends that will put 10 frames in their supers and tell you all day why that is the best way. For me, wider frames are easier for my system to cap and I'm all about less work for me.
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Always start your honey supers out with 10 if they are new foundation. Only change to 9 after the frames have been drawn out. They will draw out a lot of bad comb with too much bee space between frames if you start them out with 9 new frames in a 10 frame box.
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Actually I run 12 frames in my jumbo brood boxes, but I didn't want to confuse the discussion. :-D
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good cause he specified deeps not jumbos, so it might of.
I say run 9 and 1/2..... cut the 10 sideways along it's width to just compromise with the 10 framers and the 9 framers... ok, I'm just joking of course, and being a smart*ss. seriously, same answer as everyone else, 10 in brood which will be your deeps more than likely, if you want, 9 in honey supers, but I still do 10 frankly. uncapping isn't like rocket science....OMG I do NOT know what to do....it is not sticking outside the frame so much for me to just run it through my uncapping machine or use my special handy dandy heated uncapping knife.....guess I will just have to not uncap it.....ok, once more I jest...in a larger operation, it does obviously make things much easier, so should be considered.
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Actually I run 12 frames in my jumbo brood boxes, but I didn't want to confuse the discussion. :-D
Put there 13 frames and you perhaps confuse it better :-X