Plans for a National Hive please

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Plans for a National Hive please

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Midland Spinner

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 2931
Location: Under a green roof

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 13 3:57 pm Post subject: Plans for a National Hive please

My bees are all on Nationals. Ideally I'd have started on htb or Warre, but I didn't and it's a bit late to change now as I like to keep them interchangeable for emergencies etc.

I need another brood box, and money's a bit tight, so OH is planning to make one. I've found several sets of plans on the web, but they..... vary.

Has anyone got a link to a tried & tested set of plans for National boxes please?

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15998

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 13 5:10 pm Post subject:
Sorry to not be more helpful, but if they vary, would it be better to measure your own hives so that they are compatible.

Midland Spinner

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 2931
Location: Under a green roof

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 13 5:18 pm Post subject:
No, it's the plans that vary in usefulness. I was trying to not be too rude about people's efforts, but honestly, they miss out dimensions etc. I can't measure my own hives because the occupants don't like it!

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Tue Jun 18, 13 9:51 am Post subject:
Dave Cushmans site has plans for most of the common hives used in the UK. A commercial brood would be easier to make than a national, & matches in every way but the frame size so you can use national supers, queen excluders, roofs etc. Only the frames are a different size.

Midland Spinner

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 2931
Location: Under a green roof

Posted: Tue Jun 18, 13 10:08 am Post subject:

Dave Cushman's site is one of the ones I've already looked at - it doesn't show the internal dimensions of the box.

I'm going to stay on Nationals because that way I can swap frames around - e.g. for an artificial swarm. Whereas if I opted for a Commercial I'd always find that I'd got deep frames and only a shallow box in the spare pile.

Keep the ideas coming, but it's slightly less urgent as the swarm I needed to house has just decamped from the nuc box they were overflowing (or most of them have

)

gardening-girl

Joined: 25 Feb 2009
Posts: 6024
Location: Somerset.

Posted: Tue Jun 18, 13 11:57 am Post subject:
I hope you find some good plans,as we are in the same position. I thought we had enough kit,but the colony I`m hopefully getting,is used to having two brood boxes. If I use my second,it will leave me short for another hive.

johnc

Joined: 16 May 2005
Posts: 101
Location: Hay on Wye

Posted: Wed Jun 19, 13 10:59 am Post subject:
You will always need far more kit than you would expect. It can get very expensive so a reliable set of plans for your own hives is always a good idea. I would measure your boxes next time you are inspecting and make up new boxes to suit your hives. It is as you say the internal measurements which are important as that is what the bought frames sit in.

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Fri Jun 21, 13 3:36 pm Post subject:

Midland Spinner wrote:

)

National brood box.
Posted the wrong link earlier.

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