Follower boards

[Finally Home]

Just now heard of them.  Anyone use them??  Pros n Cons.................................

[iddee]

Never had a TBH, but would sure have a follower board if I did set one up.

[tbonekel]

I thought it was pretty much a must if you have a TBH. I'm going to build one this year. They look cool!

[Finally Home]

The site I saw made them for the Langstroth hives??

[LazyBkpr]

I have seen them in Langstroths.. I believe the purposes of the ones I saw were to reduce the box size because of small clusters.  Prevented the owner from having to move them to a nuc box.  I have "read" that some use them on the outside edges for better ventilation/insulation etc.   I havent used any at this point, but try to keep such information on reserve just in case such a situation arises.

[robo]

I have never used them,  but had considered them prior to moving to polystyrene hive bodies.    I think they would definitely be an improvement for 10 Frame Langstroth hives, especially in cold climates.  I know Eugene Killian was a believer in them along with the CC Miller slatted rack and it is hard to argue with his success.

[apisbees]

I have used them to divide a standard super into 2, 3, and 4/5, frame nucs. Just have the divider on the bottom board to aline with the follower board.

[Barbarian]

Thanks Robo for the pic --- very clear.

In the UK these would be called "Dummy boards". The bees can get round, over or under the boards. I believe with "Division boards" the bees cannot get from one side to the other.

I use "Dummy boards" every year for different purposes. At the moment, all bar one of my hives, has a DB in.

[Woody Roberts]

I have one long Lang hive with a follower board. Hive holds 32 frames but I've just got 20 some in it now. This is a really handy place to store a few extra frames of drawn comb etc.
I think I'll drill a small hole in the follower though. While its pretty tight it's not uncommon to find a couple dead bees on the backside. I could also use this space for feeding internally. Woody

[apisbees]

I would be carefull of leaving combs in the hive with out bees having access that you are leaving a breeding area for wax moth and small hive beetles.
To this a follower board could be used ot confine the bees to an area that they can cover and maintain and the extra frames could be removed and stored and added back to the hive and the follower board moved as needed.

[Finally Home]

Very interesting.  Thanks for all the replies.  I had moved a small late swarm to a nuc, so I take it a couple follower boards could have kept them in the 10 frame but sectioned off to the center with the boards giving them some added insulated air space?? Makes sense.

[Woody Roberts]

Apis
Yes I store the extra frames of comb/ honey etc with the bees. The follower keeps me from being confined to ten frame increments. By the same token I can't put in more frames than what I have bees to take care of.

[apisbees]

I store extra frames on the hive but I also live where I don't have to worry about the small hive beetle or wax moths yet. The only moth I get is the cottaling moth that goes after apples and they do very little damage to the comb. The bees can repair a damaged super in a day. So I can get away with being sloppy and leaving comb out, most others on the forum can not with out having the comb destroyed.
Just a caution, something to keep in mind depending on the area you live in.

[tecumseh]

I have never used one but they seem to be quite a common aspect of beekeeping in Long hives and TBH.  I suspect they make more sense in very cold places than down here in Texas.  back during the mid 1980's there was a variation on this that was called cluster frames (looked quite a bit like a follower board only they were made of plastic) and they were suppose to give bees a place to cluster which then was suppose to limit swarming (I think the marketers of the device actually used the word PREVENT swarming).  some simple science type person then tested this device (unbeknown to the manufacturer) and found out that it actually didn't accomplish anything.  Like any number of ideas NOW or THEN after a bit of testing it was found to be totally worthless except for putting money in the pocket of the manufacturer.

[Riverrat]

I have done as apis has using them to make 2 5 frame nucs out of a single deep. I have done this with very little problem

[Finally Home]

Does anyone have a print for making one? 

[Woody Roberts]

I didn't use a print. I carefully measured the inside of my box up to the frame rest. Then I nailed a piece on to block that area. I tried to get a slip fit without enough room for a bee to get around it.
I've considered using the blue or pink insulating board. It should have enough give to actually press fit.