SBB & Slatted Rack Dimension

[markonsite]

I am building my own SBB and rack and I would like to know if 1 1/4" from the screen to the bottom of the rack is ok, or if that distance is too great?

Thanks for the help!
Mark

[Brian D. Bray]

The most important thing is to remember the bee space is 1/4-3/8 inches.  The top of the slats on the slatted rack should be that distance below the frames.  Run your slats parallel with the frames and spaced the same so that the mites can fall between the slats, through the SBB, and out of the hive.  I've found that using 7/8 or 1 inch doweling with the proper bee spacing works better than a rack that leaves a lot of open space below it.  the bees can station themselves all around the slats and use it for a platform for ventilating the hive as well as a place to expand onto without bearding when the internal temp of the hive gets too high.  Giving the working platform makes the workings within the hive more efficient.

[Michael Bush]

An inch and a quarter should do ok.  I HAVE occasionally seen them build comb under the rack, but that's rare.  I wouldn't go much bigger than that.

[markonsite]

MB & Brian, thanks for the info. Both of you have been a tremendous help! Another question for both of you: I have not purchased frames or foundation yet for my two new hives. They are all medium/10 frame boxes, sbb, slatted racks, inner cover w/jar feeder. I have been looking at the HSC frames and also the wax foundation 4.9mm sc. If I use the HSC will they start using this immediately? Using HSC what about drone comb? If I use 4.9mm wax will they draw 4.9mm comb?

Thanks,
Mark

[Brian D. Bray]

I use standard deep foundation cut down to 1" strips for a starter point.  The foundation is imprinted at about 5.4-- since there is just the strip the bees regress the drawn comb to about 5.1.  I would imagine if you tried to use small cell foundation that bees raised on 5.4 would still try to build larger than 4.9 at 5.1.  Second generation bees should be fine.  Michael Bush can be more definitive--I haven't seen the need, yet, to regress all the way to 4.9 from the start.
I have noticed that bees raised in 5.1 tend to build slightly small comb in the supers which may be 4.9.