I started out with nationals, decided the above and just bought the conversion ekes (masiemores are better, they go on the bottom of a standard National rather than Thorne's which go on the top so you have to take the runners off) on the basis that if I didn't get on with 14x12s I could always go back. There are other reasons which I'm not experienced enough to comment on but make sense to me such as helping expansion and lower likelyhood to swarm. This will not affect the structural integrity of the product – this is natural and is not covered by a guarantee.

I'm wondering if using 14x12 frames might result in more honey in the supers at the end of the summer, but is that offset by the need to feed? At any point after assembly the building has been in contact with any trees, plants or exterior walls which could allow moisture to penetrate the timber. Place a queen excluder on top of the National brood box, then a small eke (say 25 mm high) with an entrance. If you are not satisfied with purchase or if you have any other problems with the frames you receive, please hesitate to contact us and we will try our best to rectify the problem as soon as possible. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.Yes, put the 14 x 12 box on top of the National brood box (no queen excluder) and feed to encourage the bees to draw out the foundation. The colony will re-orientate to the new entrance and will concentrate their efforts in the 14 x 12 box. and then when the queen is in there and laying and a good percentage of the frames are drawn out and have brood in swap the boxes round so the national brood is on top and stick a queen excluder in between.

Please do not attempt to contact the carrier as we are able to deal with this more quickly and efficiently. We work very closing with the NBU (National Bee Unit) and APHA (Animal and Plant Agency) to guarantee you disease free bees that are a pleasure to handle. Your shed must be treated within 6 months of purchase and then every 6 to 12 months to activate your 10 year anti rot guarantee and protect your shed from the weather also ensuring it's watertight. We are a team of passionate beekeepers supplying beginner beekeepers and fellow bee farmers across the nation. The most common flaw is a slight blue tinge which is a natural colouration sometimes appearing during the drying process whilst some others may have a small knot in the underside of the frame bar.Please do not expect 100% blemish free from a product of this nature, whilst we strive to give you the highest quality product available to achieve 100% perfect product in EPS would mean high wastage. A fecund queen will produce more brood than a single 14 x 12 can cope with, so you are then faced with the prospect of having a box that's too small or using a second brood box - and there are probably few beekeepers who would relish doing a Demaree and putting a 14 x 12 above 3 or 4 supers on top of a queen in a lower 14 x 12 as an example. All parts of the frame have been machine tooled to our usual exacting standards and just the top bars may have these slight cosmetic flaws which will not be noticed by the bees and will in no way affect their function.

but they are smaller frames so you get more brood on a 14 x 12 frame if you are going to make up Nucs from splitting colonies ? I’ve had a few courier issues with damaged items - yet Abelo have always sorted them promptly and to my satisfaction every time.A tip would be to feed to help them draw out the foundation with a rapid feeder, miller feeder, contact feeder, frame feeder, what ever you like. Spring nucs will have travel screens on them to keep them cooler in warmer weather when transporting. The positives of double brood for me are ease of splitting (for whatever reason), rarely having to feed, all the brood parts are identical and usually I can do a comb change once the bees are properly active by removing the bottom box (which is rarely in use at that point) and putting a fresh box of foundation on top, then repeating the process for the next season. The benefits of the shed being fully pressure-treated means it is protected against decay, rot, and pest damage for years.

At BS Honey Bees Ltd, we're not just a supplier; we're your dedicated partner in beekeeping, offering the pinnacle of bee quality and service. But it's all a matter of personal choice and what suits YOU - the only way to find out is to try a 14 x 12 and see. We have also reduced the issue of frames being propolised down by incorporating a frame runner, whilst maintaining sufficient top bee space reducing the risk of crushing bees. Please note - All of our products must be installed on a level solid base, the usual but not limited to methods are either concrete, paving slabs (flags), a wooden frame. It might take a few days for the bees to get the message that we want the queen to lay in the 14 x 12's but after a week or so there should be eggs and small larvae in the 14 x 12 frames.There was a long piece in a BBKA magazine 2 or 3 years ago extolling the virtues of brood and a half.