Variable Bee Space?

[Tug Fork Bob]

I am converting several 9 5/8 deeps and 5 11/16 boxes to try all-medium boxes on a hive to see how I like it. Looking at the Dadant catalog I noticed:

9 5/8 hive bodies use 9 1/8 frames---( 1/2" gap between the top of one and the bottom of the next if you stack 2 boxes)

6 5/8 boxes use 6 1/4 frames--(3/8" gap when 2 are stacked)

5 11/16 supers use 5 3/8 frame--(only a 5/16" gap when 2 are stacked)


Anybody know why?

Bob

[odfrank]

And we can also argue about how much of the variable 5/16 - 1/2" of beespace do we leave above the frames and how much below the frames. I have been renovating some supers for 11 1/4" frames that I made in 1979, and find that they have shrank so much in those years that that I have to add 5/16" to the bottom or the frames are deeper than the lumber.

I generally shoot for 1/4" above and 1/8" below, but since I have equipment from dozens of different manufacturers, some commercial and some homemade, and since it's all been shrinking and getting propolised for 30+ years, I don't worry about it too much. One crop came in so intense this May, that the bees didn't give a **** about any variable size of beespace, just crammed it all full of comb and honey.

[Michael Bush]

I think Dadant's deep boxes have shrunk to about 9 1/2". You might check if you have some. :) But 5/16 is in the range of beespace (1/4 to 3/8"). 5/16" seems to be standard for shallows and 3/8" is standard for mediums. As ODFrank says, 1/4" on top and 1/8" on the bottom is the correct space.

[Robert Hawkins]

Great question!!! Terrific answers. I love this forum. Can you imagine trying to figure out whether bee space goes above or below the frame without someone to ask?

thanks guys,

hawk