Follower boards on the outside of the brood nest

[Michael Bush]

I finally figured out what these are REALLY for. Jay Smith (Queen Rearing Simplified) says they are to increase cluster space in the brood nest and cut down on swarming.

I never got that from anyones explaination before.

[odfrank]

You would think that empty comb has more clustering space. I don't see how follower boards would reduce swarming. I only find a purpose for them in taking up the extra room in square boxes, and when I hive a small swarm on less than a full box of frames.

[Michael Bush]

I think the idea is that there is a beespace on each side of it and that's more bees than if there was only one bees space on. After all, if you do it in a 10 frame box, you take a frame out to make room for the followers, the follower doesn't really take up room (the ones I've seen were less than 1/8" thick) and that extra room is filled with bees.

Makes sense to me.