Polyhive supers frame spacing

[Kate Atchley]

Once comb is drawn in shallow wired frames for supers, I find using metal spacers the easiest way to space the frames.

Has anyone used them in Swienty or Lyson polyhive and, if so, how did you fix them in place?

[fatshark]

Gorilla glue provides a reasonable fix if you're not too clumsy. However, in the end I abandoned the spacers altogether and find the bees propolise the frames in place pretty quickly and almost as securely.

[Thymallus]

The standard metal castellated spacers are slightly too long to fit into the Abelo or Swienty National poly-hives, they need cutting to fit.
Like Fatshark I prefer to space by eye and the bees soon fixed them in place.

As an aside the swienty poly-hives only take 10 brood frames and there is no bottom spacing in the ones I've got which means they can't easily be used for double brood without crushing lots of bees when you stick them back together. I just use my swienty ones for storing spare brood frames etc these days.

[Kate Atchley]

Gorilla glue provides a reasonable fix if you're not too clumsy. However, in the end I abandoned the spacers altogether and find the bees propolise the frames in place pretty quickly and almost as securely.

Ummm ... my bees don't propolise heavily so the frame spacing is best sorted some other way.

I'll try Gorilla glue ... got plenty of that.

[Kate Atchley]

The standard metal castellated spacers are slightly too long to fit into the Abelo or Swienty National poly-hives, they need cutting to fit.
Like Fatshark I prefer to space by eye and the bees soon fixed them in place.

As an aside the swienty poly-hives only take 10 brood frames and there is no bottom spacing in the ones I've got which means they can't easily be used for double brood without crushing lots of bees when you stick them back together. I just use my swienty ones for storing spare brood frames etc these days.

I find the metal spacers will bend easily enough if I can't be bothered to cut them! And I run double brood with Swienty boxes (but prefer Lyson) without apparent massacre of bees. Perhaps they are later versions of the boxes.

[Adam]

I have two MB (Paradise) brood boxes (Nationals) they too have the wrong spacing so can't be used as double brood without crushing bees. So they are just used as large nucs for overwintering colonies in which work well. I sold my Paynes poly and am yet to make the leap to another flavour; wood seems to work for me - with castellations in the supers. No need for spacers.

[Thymallus]

I run double brood with Swienty boxes (but prefer Lyson) without apparent massacre of bees. Perhaps they are later versions of the boxes.
Is there a rebate on the bottom of your brood box sides? If so they might be a later version. Mine are just totally flat and old....and useless for double brood. Well not totally useless just have very thick walls to be aware of.

[James O]

I use 9 Manley frames though will probably change this winter to 8 plus one spacer SN1 frame. 9 works well until they get propolised and start forcing the dovetail joints apart.
WBC super castellations are 3mm too long for a Swienty new (from 2015?) design super according to Thorne's and a quick check this morning. 383 vs 380mm.

[Kate Atchley]

Ummm ... my Swienty boxes are flat on the base. Not sure why I'm not finding loads of crushed bees. I often use cloths which encourage the bees downwards so are good for clearing them out of the way when replacing boxes.

... and I have some Manley frames but find them heavy and awkward in the extractor so will not be buying more of them.

[Thymallus]

Not sure why I'm not finding loads of crushed bees.
... and I have some Manley frames but find them heavy and awkward in the extractor so will not be buying more of them.
Me thinks you are gentler than me sticking the brood boxes back together.....

[Kate Atchley]

Me thinks you are gentler than me sticking the brood boxes back together.....

Umm ... maybe ... always try to be gentle and hate that sound of squashing bee(s).

[The Drone Ranger]

plastic ends ?
you get standard and wide for frame spacing

You can use wedges to keep the boxes a bit apart then smoke them out of the way before lowering

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