Frame widths

[jimineycricket]

I am getting nucs in spring--big bees.  I want to regress to small cells.  In making my frames, can I use 1 1/4" end bars right from the start or do I need to start out at 1 3/8" ?
jimmy

[richter1978]

In my experience, right from the start should work.

[little john]

If your objective is 1 1/4", then make 1 1/4".  If needs be, you can always space them a little wider, using a thin shim.  Any propolis which is inserted into the gap between them can simply be scraped-off.

Another approach would be to use wood screws for spacing instead of the Hoffman design - then those screws can be gradually screwed inwards (with each comb re-build) until you reach your objective.
LJ

[Michael Bush]

1 1/4" all the time everywhere in the brood nest no matter what the cell size works great.  See Charles Koover's column "From the West" back in the late 70's.  There is no discussion of cell size...

"With so many beginners wanting to know about eleven deep frames in a 10 frame deep Langstroth brood chamber I will have to go into further details. But first this letter from Anchorage, Alaska of all places. For that is as far north as you can keep bees. He writes, I'm a new beekeeper with one season's experience with two hives. A good friend is in the same boat he had read one of your articles on "Squeezing" the bees and tried one of his hives that way result a hive full of bees and honey. This year we will have eight hives with eleven frames in the brood chamber."
"If you, too, want to have eleven frames in the brood chamber do this. In assembling your frames besides nails use glue. It' a permanent deal anyway. Be sure your frames are the type with grooved top and bottom bars. After assembling the frames, plane down the end bars on each side so that they are the same width as the top bar. Now drive in the staples. As I mentioned last month make them by cutting paper clips in half. They cost but little and don't split the wood. Drive the staples into the wood until they stick out one quarter inch. The staples should be all on one side. This prevents you from turning the frame around in the brood nest. It's a bad practice and it upsets the arrangement of the brood nest. It is being done, but it leads to chilling of brood and it disturbs the laying cycle of the queen. I am talking to beginners, but even old timers should not commit this bad practice. As for the foundation, if you use molded plastic foundation just snap it into the frame and you are ready to go."-- Charles Koover,Bee Culture, April 1979, From the West Column.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesframewidth.htm