On 13-May-09, at 1:47 PM, [log in to unmask] wrote:

>>>
> My spacing is *standard*.


Hi Waldemar and all

I have acquired equipment over 30 years.  Many different sources.  It  
is truer to say they are all different than to say they are  
standard.  I stopped using flat type queen excluders(punched metal)  
because the bees welded them to the tops of the frames.  Prying them  
off to check the brood chamber got the bees so worked up I usually  
gave up.  Welded wire excluders were better but depending on the  
equipment you could have 3/8" from the top of the frames to the top  
of the box plus 3/16"on either side of the excluder resulting in the  
burr comb you describe.
I modified my brood boxes such that the frames are flush with the top  
of the box.  I also modified the queen excluders such that there is  
3/8" from the wires to the top of the frames.  Almost never burr comb  
and the punched type excluders work like a charm as they are flat on  
top of the frames and the box top.  All of the space (which varies  
from box to box) is now next to the bottom board.  The bees build  
ladders of comb to get into the brood box.  This system works for  
singles but may present issues for doubles and triples depending on  
the equipment that end up in the stack.

Bob Darrell
Caledon Ontario
Canada
44N80W

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