frame spacing in honey supers

[VTnewbee]

I've been pushing all the frames together in my honey supers, but last night I was reading a beekeeping book (old one but new to me) that said you should space the honey super frames apart from each other, evenly spaced, so they can make deeper cells and store more honey.  This made sense to me so now I'm wondering if I'm doing it wrong.  Can anyone enlighten me?  Thanks!

[bassman1977]

You don't have to.  I have some supers filled with frames that I had trimmed down to squeeze 11 frames into a box.  All my supers will have 9 frame spacers in them from here on out though.  From the reason you stated and also they are easier to get out of the box.

[Robo]

Always start out foundation frames with 10 to a box pushed tight together.   Once the frames are drawn out, then spacing 9 evenly will make for better extracting.   If you start with 9 spaced foundation frames, you will end up with a mess.

[VTnewbee]

Thank you for the great advice!  This will be my method from now on (or until someone gives me a really good reason to do differently!  ;))

[Pond Creek Farm]

What about foundationless in the honey box Rob?  I use ten, but even so I ahve a few that are a real mess.  I will have to pull three frames at once and crush them all together. 

[Robo]

That is one of the draw backs of foundationless though most proponents feel it is no big deal.  Whatever you do, don't mix drawn comb and foundationless in a honey super or you will end up with a real mess.