Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS => Topic started by: windfall on January 12, 2011, 05:54:25 pm

Title: space below frames in long hive?
Post by: windfall on January 12, 2011, 05:54:25 pm

I am building a long hive equivalent to 3 deeps. As I understand it on a regular lang hive with a reversible bottom board you get around 1/2-5/8" with the 3/8 lip (summer) and 7/8-1" with the 3/4 lip (winter). I am referring to the space below the bottom bar of the frames. The bottom of this thing (made from 6" shiplap boards) will be screwed on and the hive's weight carried on some legs (like many top bar setups). And so while I could seasonally alter the available space with shims I would rather not.
If you were going to run a fixed bottom what amount of room would you leave?

Title: Re: space below frames in long hive?
Post by: AllenF on January 12, 2011, 06:44:29 pm

1/2 inch.

Title: Re: space below frames in long hive?
Post by: windfall on January 12, 2011, 06:52:14 pm

Thanks allen,
I suspected as much, I assume much more than that during the active year and you get bur comb attachment?

Title: Re: space below frames in long hive?
Post by: Michael Bush on January 12, 2011, 09:41:14 pm

Between 1/4" and 7/8" will work fine.  More will get filled with comb.  Less will get propolized.