Author Topic: Frames Used (Read 21593 times)

Crofter · « **Reply #40 on:** January 11, 2014, 07:42:36 pm »

I was intrigued enough with the idea in regard to supposedly better performance in cold climate that I custom made up 60 narrow frames. So far the discipline to experiment with that idea, somehow seems lacking!

I have been using them for foundationless drome comb fro drone culling. I soon found out that a lot of these cutesy ideas get lost or all mixed up (snaffu?) with other needs to swap frames around.

I sometimes wonder if some of these claimed wonders ever actually happened outside of someones keyboard!

iddee · « **Reply #41 on:** January 11, 2014, 07:47:44 pm »

Lazy, you should see me and tec go at it on another forum where politics is allowed. You would think we were gonna kill each other. You would never guess we were the best of friends.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #42 on:** January 11, 2014, 08:38:31 pm »

Have you read Michale Bushs site Crofter? He shaves at least for some of his hives and has a decent post about the ins and outs. I have read other peoples reasons along the way. In theory it looks good to me, much like running 9 frames in the supers does. I am still STUCK in the interchangeability/ universal fit, boxes/frames and standardization.. At this point in my buildup that has been a greater boon than shaved or spaced frames.
Like you, I am still working out keyboard methods from real methods. Been around bees for a long time, and learned too late the questions I should have been asking when I had the chance.

Crofter · « **Reply #43 on:** January 11, 2014, 09:19:53 pm »

Lazybkpr, that is the trick to learning--knowing the right questions to ask. My son calls it "threshold knowledge" that you need to be able to sort the wheat from the chaffe. It takes a while to reach the point where you can really start to learn.

Interchangeability is a big plus for sure. Getting an established way of doing things and getting rid of gadgetry is another. That is something that Michael Bush no doubt has down to a tee. I would like to look into his hives from the last 5 years and see how many of the theoretical things are still being done on an ongoing basis.

Just recently I saw a signature line that reads "practicality trumps ideology" Sometimes I get the feeling that some of the still claimed ideology has met up with practical reality.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #44 on:** January 11, 2014, 09:40:25 pm »

Quote from: Crofter on January 11, 2014, 09:19:53 pm

Lazybkpr, that is the trick to learning--knowing the right questions to ask. My son calls it "threshold knowledge" that you need to be able to sort the wheat from the chaffe. It takes a while to reach the point where you can really start to learn.

Interchangeability is a big plus for sure. Getting an established way of doing things and getting rid of gadgetry is another. That is something that Michael Bush no doubt has down to a tee. I would like to look into his hives from the last 5 years and see how many of the theoretical things are still being done on an ongoing basis.

Just recently I saw a signature line that reads "practicality trumps ideology" Sometimes I get the feeling that some of the still claimed ideology has met up with practical reality.

Well said! He lives close enough I could make the drive, getting the invite is the hard part!

Jen · « **Reply #45 on:** January 11, 2014, 10:29:11 pm »

I can see that this is gonna be a loooong read. BRB. Getting my dinner

Jen · « **Reply #46 on:** January 11, 2014, 10:39:33 pm »

K! I'm all situated with my lap on my lap and holding a bowl of soup, don't make me laugh or the soups going onto my lap.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #47 on:** January 11, 2014, 10:47:17 pm »

Why do bees hum?
They don't know the words.

One day a woman went for a walk in her neighborhood and came across a boy with some puppies. 'Would you like a puppy? They aren't ready for new homes quite yet, but they will be in a few weeks!'

'Oh, they're adorable,' the lady said. 'What kind of dogs are they?'
'I think these are bee inspectors.'
'OK. I'll tell my husband.'

So she went home and told her husband. About a week later he came across the lad and the puppies were very active.

'Hey, Mister. Want a puppy?'
'I think my wife spoke with you last week. What kind of dogs are these?'
'Oh. These are beekeepers.'
'I thought you said last week that they were bee inspectors.'
'Yeah, but they've opened their eyes since then.'

Jen · « **Reply #48 on:** January 11, 2014, 10:56:26 pm »

~Wink~ Still holding my soup... and a smile

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #49 on:** January 11, 2014, 10:57:41 pm »

apisbees · « **Reply #50 on:** January 12, 2014, 01:04:45 pm »

Finely catching up on this thread a standard Langstroth hive is the hive Rev Langstroth invented and patented back in ----. It consisted of the Langstroth removable frame and a 10 frame box. so when referring to a Langstroth hive we should be talking the 10 frame super. Any thing else would be classified as a modified Langstroth as it is still using the Langstroth frames.

Jen · « **Reply #51 on:** January 12, 2014, 02:33:34 pm »

Okay.. if ya want to get technical about it...

Jen · « **Reply #52 on:** January 30, 2014, 12:31:01 am »

Soooo, my hive has some issues to deal with before I can split this spring. This is one of them. I have one hive, double deep. This the brood box. It has 9 frames in it.

I don't have a mentor, so much of my last three years has been learning through reading and youtube. I used only 9 frames because it was stated that nine frames in a 10 frame box would leave room in between the frames for mites to drop off and freely fall down thru the screened bottom board onto the sticky board. Made sense to me... then.

In this picture, if you look to the left and count three frames to the right, you will see a waxed up mess between frame 3 and frame 4. These two frames are completely waxed into place, I haven't been able to move them since last spring.

All's I need to know is:

1. How to get them out.
2. How to clean them up.
3. Beings this is the brood box, when is it safe to do this?

apisbees · « **Reply #53 on:** January 30, 2014, 12:47:37 am »

When the temp is above 65 deg and between 1 and 3 Pm. so the max forager bees will be out of the hive. Pry them apart after removing a couple of out side frames to make room so you can remove each frame to clean off the bur comb.

Edward · « **Reply #54 on:** January 30, 2014, 01:09:26 am »

And now the real reason large operations run 8 or 9 frames in a 10 frame super

Try using a bee blower to evacuate and blow bees out of a super with 10 frames.
Then try and do the same with 8 or 9 frames in a 10 frame box and you will know why

If you have ten frames in a box you have to take one out to be able to blow all the bees out, pull one frame while holding the bee blower hose, drop the hose and it starts to dance, no telling where it will land, one hand with a hive tool, where to put the excess frame, takes too much time and bother.

If you have 8 or 9 frames its like browsing through old LP records, you walk through them with your fingers and it goes fast, no need to pull out a frame

mvh Edward

Jen · « **Reply #55 on:** January 30, 2014, 01:44:21 am »

Ummmmm................Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaay

??

Edward · « **Reply #56 on:** January 30, 2014, 02:14:51 am »

If you try to blow bees on tightly packed frames they hang on and aren't easily displaced and hide

If you can easily separate the frames a bit you can blast them with more air and move the frames and blow the bees of the frames and boxes.

mvh Edward

tecumseh · « **Reply #57 on:** January 30, 2014, 05:03:02 am »

nice addition Edward.

and qw I suspect much like your description in the use of the bee blower that there is also greater ventilation up thru the stack.... not so important when it is cold but here in Texas definitely a benefit when it is hot.

Crofter · « **Reply #58 on:** January 30, 2014, 09:53:57 am »

If you get in there early the brood area should be in the upper box. Have an extra box and move the outside and moveable frames with their bees, into the new box untill you have only the stuck together ones in the box. You can turn it upside down and tap on the frame bottoms and perhaps get them free of the box then split them apart. If they are waxed to the bottom board twisting the body back and forth is better than jusst hauling up on it.

riverbee · « **Reply #59 on:** January 30, 2014, 10:08:30 am »

jen, do you have 8 frames or 9 frames in that box?
the reason you have the waxed mess between 3 and 4 is because the frames are not spaced evenly. i use 9 frames in a 10 frame langstroth deep, i don't do this for mite drop, but for other reasons, ventilation, and ease of removing frames, examination etc. i space them evenly across. do as apis said to pry, remove them, and clean them up, then ensure that your frames are spaced evenly. or you can do as crofter said with an extra box.

also, if you use or start out with undrawn foundation, you must start with 10 frames, as soon as these are all fully drawn, remove one frame, space evenly, so that you can go to 9 frames.