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Author Topic: Would more narrow frames help?  (Read 6844 times)

Offline wayne

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Would more narrow frames help?
« on: April 08, 2012, 11:46:26 pm »
  All my bees are regressed locals heavy on the german. The little buggers seem to feel that a standard Lang frame is just a little too wide for their tastes as they tend to build a comb on either side of the frame. Or at best one in the center of say every second or third frame and then two on the edges then one again. Guide sticks be darned.
  I'm wondering if a slightly more narrow frame would be better for fully regressed bees. Say 11 frames in a 10 frame standard box?
I was born about 100 years too early, or to late.

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Would more narrow frames help?
« Reply #1 on: April 10, 2012, 11:04:05 am »
1 1/4" is natural spacing.  Sounds like they insist...

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesframewidth.htm
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Offline AllenF

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Re: Would more narrow frames help?
« Reply #2 on: April 10, 2012, 04:20:20 pm »
Check to make sure you have no gaps in the frames.   New frames placed between drawn frames and large gaps between new frames will allow too much bee space where they will build wild comb. 

Offline AndrewT

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Re: Would more narrow frames help?
« Reply #3 on: April 23, 2012, 04:56:56 pm »
I have an old copy of Eugene Killion's "Honey in the Comb", and in that book he describes his set-up involving standard Langstroth deeps, with nine frames in the center of the hive and with a 3/8 inch thick follower board at each end.

He talks of how much better it is to pull frames after first removing one of the follower boards.  He also describes the necessity in having frames that can be interchanged in different hives when they are cut down for comb honey production, and how, with the follower boards, the nine frames in the hive are all kept at the same widths by the bees.

Anybody ever tried the Killion set-up?
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Offline Rurification

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Re: Would more narrow frames help?
« Reply #4 on: April 23, 2012, 05:16:59 pm »
We're having that problem with one of our new packages.   They build on either side of the frame and sometimes try to do two combs on a frame.   Geez.    We've been thinking of making our own frames and I was just wondering what the width should be.   

Thanks for this thread.
Robin Edmundson
www.rurification.com

Beekeeping since 2012

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Would more narrow frames help?
« Reply #5 on: April 24, 2012, 12:28:48 am »
>Anybody ever tried the Killion set-up?

I have used follower boards on occasion.  It does make getting that first frame out nice...
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Offline JackM

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Re: Would more narrow frames help?
« Reply #6 on: April 25, 2012, 09:18:00 am »
I also have one hive doing the same thing, 8 frame mediums.  I took and planed 2 strokes off each side of the frames and was able to get a 9th in.  Hoping that will help, but building comb between the starter strips has made me have to do mini cutouts and rubber band the comb in. 
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Offline samuils

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Re: Would more narrow frames help?
« Reply #7 on: May 15, 2012, 05:52:21 am »
1 1/4" is natural spacing.  Sounds like they insist...

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesframewidth.htm

According to Baudoux (note this is the thickness of the comb itself and not the spacing of the comb on centers)
Hi Michael, I just read the link you posted, one question though, what re the comb centers?

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Would more narrow frames help?
« Reply #8 on: May 15, 2012, 09:01:27 pm »
If a frame is 1 1/4" then the comb is 1 1/4" on center (e.g. from center to center or o.c.) as well as from edge to edge.  In other words as long as you are measuring from the same place to the same place.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

 

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