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Author Topic: Slatted Rack  (Read 9300 times)

Offline rail

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Slatted Rack
« on: May 05, 2011, 01:06:57 pm »
I don't know if reading is dangerous or not, but I'm trying to learn! :roll: I have read some interesting information about slatted racks, would like input from everyones experience and knowledge please.

Thank You

Charles

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Offline wd

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Re: Slatted Rack
« Reply #1 on: May 05, 2011, 05:47:01 pm »
I don't use them - doesn't mean I wouldn't try them out.
 
Here's a few links but of course there's more on the topic

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php?topic=19124.0

http://beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com/search/label/slatted%20rack


Offline hankdog1

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Re: Slatted Rack
« Reply #2 on: May 05, 2011, 07:46:55 pm »
Just my 2 cents worth so don't anybody get mad at me an opinion i've drawn through my own beekeeping and talking with state entimologists here in Virginia.  There is no real advantage to using screened or slatted bottom boards.  Besides don't see too many bee trees with eigther of them.   :-D
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Offline Kathyp

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Re: Slatted Rack
« Reply #3 on: May 05, 2011, 07:59:25 pm »
the best thing about the screened bottoms is they make transporting swarms really easy.  if not for that, i'd probably go with solid bottoms as they are cheaper.  can't see much point in the slatted racks, but maybe if i lived in a hot area?
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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Slatted Rack
« Reply #4 on: May 05, 2011, 09:18:46 pm »
I used to have them on all my ten frame hives back when I had fewer hives and they were ten frame.  I liked them but not well enough to buy 200 of them when I expanded and went to eight frame.  It will help with bearding in the summer and in theory help with swarming.  If I had two hives in the backyard and wanted to play around I might buy some.  I probably won't buy any again now because I'd need 200 of them... and they aren't that big of a deal.  Same with SBB.  I have 100 of them and will continue to use them, but I probably won't buy anymore because I can use the solid bottoms as feeders and save buying 200 feeders...

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Offline rail

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Re: Slatted Rack
« Reply #5 on: May 05, 2011, 10:10:27 pm »
Michael,

I plan to follow the way you are keeping bees with my second hive, top entrance and solid bottom.

Have we (people) created problems (sickness) for the bees with all the gadgetry? We should just build a vertical box and bore holes in the top and bottom faces and let nature do her thing!!!

Charles
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Offline ccar2000

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Re: Slatted Rack
« Reply #6 on: May 05, 2011, 11:22:38 pm »
I use the parallel slatted racks from Brushy Mountain. I am a novice but I noticed that the brood nest is built all of the way to the bottom of the inner frames from front to back on the lower brood box. Supposedly the queen is not too nervous about getting snatched up by a predator and will lay directly above the entrance due to the wide cross piece in the front.

http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/10-Frame-Slatted-Rack/productinfo/672/
It is what it is

Offline NasalSponge

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Re: Slatted Rack
« Reply #7 on: May 05, 2011, 11:29:48 pm »
I have them on two of my hives, help with bearding, didn't stop swarming, not sure I will purchase anymore. I just hived a swarm on a solid BB to see if I can see a difference. All my nucs have screen BB, makes it nice for the ride home from a swarm catch.

Offline tillie

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Re: Slatted Rack
« Reply #8 on: May 06, 2011, 12:07:02 am »
I'm in Atlanta where we fondly refer to our town as Hotlanta in the heat of the summer.  I'm a real believer in slatted racks for help with ventilation here in the deep south.  I have seen a huge difference in the amount of bearding (almost none) with a slatted rack compared to lots of outdoor bees without. 

There are a lot of elements that contribute to a well-ventilated hive but in my experience in the deep south, I currently would not run a hive without a screened bottom board, a slatted rack and some way to raise the telescoping cover up a little.  This year I plan to use bottle caps on the corners of the inner covers rather than prop the tops and we'll see how that works.

I'd rather have my bees working in the hive than hanging out on the front of it!

Linda T in Atlanta

Offline ccar2000

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Re: Slatted Rack
« Reply #9 on: May 06, 2011, 01:00:12 am »
Off the topic-
Linda, Have you tried the ventilated inner covers?

http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/10-frame-Ventilated-Inner-Cover-Moving-Screen/productinfo/373/

I use them here in the high desert
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Offline joebrown

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Re: Slatted Rack
« Reply #10 on: May 06, 2011, 04:29:19 am »
I use the screened bottom boards and I love them. I have now converted all my hives. My bees in Boone, NC did well overwintering this year and it was a bad winter. It really does help circulation and I no longer have to worry about condensation inside the hive. They are also good for varroa control/prevention. I don't think I will ever go back to the solid bottom board. I also agree on the transportation aspect. There is no worry about smothering the bees.

Offline tillie

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Re: Slatted Rack
« Reply #11 on: May 06, 2011, 08:18:15 am »
I forgot in my earlier post about ventilation to say that I also use ventilated hive tops - I don't have them for every hive - just bought two last year to see what I thought.  I thought they made a big difference in August around here, along with the slatted rack, SBB.

Julia and I had ventilated covers at our Blue Heron hives.  She left hers on all winter.  I replaced mine with an inner cover.  This spring hers was propolized, as you might imagine.  I think the disadvantage of the ventilated cover is unlike the slatted rack, it really should be removed for winter.

Linda T

Offline rail

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Re: Slatted Rack
« Reply #12 on: May 06, 2011, 12:27:30 pm »
I like Brian Brays design for the slatted rack, using dowels. Would it be ok to use aluminum tubing for the dowels?

Charles
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Offline Kathyp

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Re: Slatted Rack
« Reply #13 on: May 06, 2011, 12:47:55 pm »
rail, the picture that came to mind was the kid in The Christmas Story sticking his tongue to the pole.   :evil:
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline rail

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Re: Slatted Rack
« Reply #14 on: May 07, 2011, 12:02:04 pm »
Kathy,

That is one of our favorite movie scenes also, along with the movie "1941"! :-D

Anyway, I would assume that is a no on the aluminum tubing for the dowels? I had read in the forum of people trying PVC? Since I work in a R&D environment my brain thinks outside of the norm. Not trying to re-invent the wheel just curious and full of questions.

I even thought about fabricating and welding a bottom feeder from food grade aluminum inserted into a wooden frame.

Thank You

Charles
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Slatted Rack
« Reply #15 on: May 07, 2011, 07:40:44 pm »
I like Brian Brays design for the slatted rack, using dowels. Would it be ok to use aluminum tubing for the dowels?

Charles


PVC will work okay as long as the outer diameter is no more than 1" but metal of any kind draws to much cold, it would be like asking your bees to enter and exit through a refrigerator on cloudy or cool days.
I like slatted racks I use them on all of my production hives.  The are a necessity on bottomless hives.  Even the strongest hives do little to no bearding when a slatted rack is used.

When I recently changed from bottomless hives back to SBB due to a change in hive stands I still kept the slatted racks in place.

I currently equip each hive with:
Screened bottom board
Slatted rack (slats lengthwise not crosswise)
3-4 medium 8 frame brood boxes
Reduced upper entrance directly above lower entrance (inverted solid BB work well for this)
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Offline L Daxon

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Re: Slatted Rack
« Reply #16 on: May 07, 2011, 07:44:35 pm »
I put a slatted rack on one hive last July that was bearding real bad every night and it sure made a difference here in Oklahoma.  Since I am a backyard keeper I now have them on all 3 hives, along with screened bottom boards.  SBB are a help with v mites and I wouldn't be without them for that reason.
linda d

Offline rail

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Re: Slatted Rack
« Reply #17 on: May 08, 2011, 11:29:56 am »
I like Brian Brays design for the slatted rack, using dowels. Would it be ok to use aluminum tubing for the dowels?

Charles


PVC will work okay as long as the outer diameter is no more than 1" but metal of any kind draws to much cold, it would be like asking your bees to enter and exit through a refrigerator on cloudy or cool days.
I like slatted racks I use them on all of my production hives.  The are a necessity on bottomless hives.  Even the strongest hives do little to no bearding when a slatted rack is used.

When I recently changed from bottomless hives back to SBB due to a change in hive stands I still kept the slatted racks in place.

I currently equip each hive with:
Screened bottom board
Slatted rack (slats lengthwise not crosswise)
3-4 medium 8 frame brood boxes
Reduced upper entrance directly above lower entrance (inverted solid BB work well for this)

Brian,

Do you use an inner cover under the solid BB for the upper entrance? Do you change any dimensions on the BB for the upper entrance?

Charles
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Slatted Rack
« Reply #18 on: May 09, 2011, 01:54:14 am »
Everything is standard measurements.  I use the solid BB as a migratory top, no inner cover.   The only thing I do different is that I nail the entrance reducer in place before inverting the BB to use as a top.
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Offline rail

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Re: Slatted Rack
« Reply #19 on: May 12, 2011, 10:07:02 am »
Everything is standard measurements.  I use the solid BB as a migratory top, no inner cover.   The only thing I do different is that I nail the entrance reducer in place before inverting the BB to use as a top.

Brian,

Will they build burr comb in that space between the bottom board and the top of the frames?

Charles
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Offline KD4MOJ

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Re: Slatted Rack
« Reply #20 on: May 12, 2011, 04:02:17 pm »
{SNIP}
Julia and I had ventilated covers at our Blue Heron hives.  She left hers on all winter.  I replaced mine with an inner cover.  This spring hers was propolized, as you might imagine.  I think the disadvantage of the ventilated cover is unlike the slatted rack, it really should be removed for winter.

Linda T

Linda have you seen the insulated, ventilated inner cover from Honey Run? First winter on my 3 hives using them with SBB and I had no condensation this winter like the past.

I want to experiment with the slatted racks on those 3 as well.

...DOUG
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Slatted Rack
« Reply #21 on: May 12, 2011, 07:53:29 pm »
I haven't had that problem.
You don't find bees building combs between the bottoms of the frames and the bottom board when using a bottom entrance and the same is true with using inverted bottom boards for top entrances.
Life is a school.  What have you learned?   :brian:      The greatest danger to our society is apathy, vote in every election!