Beespace- what it is and why it is important.
- Invented by bees a long time ago.
- Discovered by Langstroth in 1852.
- Allows us to design hives we can inspect.
- Beespace is the gap between hive components.
- Gaps less than 4.5mm is filled with propolis
- Gaps between 4.5mm and 9mm is bee space.
- Gaps bigger than 9mm are filled with wax comb.
- Beespace is the route bees use to move around hive.
- The best size to use for beespace is accepted as:
- Small gap 5.25mm to 5.35mm
- Larger gap 8.9mm to 9.0mm
- Other gap sizes are:
- Queen excluder wires are at 4.3mm
- Drones cannot get through space is 5.2-5.4mm
- Gap of 5.35mm between frames if the bees are not working back to back.
- Gap of 9mm between frames for bees working back to back.
Okay but what of top space and bottom space?
- Bee Frames are not as deep as the super or brood box
- There will be a space above or below the frame.
- If the space is above the frame it is "top space".
- If the space is below the frame it is "bottom space.
- Your hive must be all top space or all bottom space.
- If you have a hive which is a mix of space then:
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- You will have a double size gap between some layers and
- No gap at all between other layers.
- The jury is out on which is best.
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