Why are Frames Tapered

General Bee Chat
1

Why do hive frames have the bottom half tapered. Surely not to tell the top from the bottom LOL
Would seem to me to be a simpler construction just have straight sides.

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2

Hmmm Busso ! Not sure , never seen them any other way ! They were that way back in the 1950’s ! :wink:

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someone else will have to answer that one buddy. Let me know if you find out !!

Good luck,
Gerald

3

That is to make a gap big enough for the bees to be able to go around the ends to get to the next frame.

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4

Thankz Michael ! Now I think back 55 years ago a beekeeper told me that. Guess I completely forgot ! Appreciate the note.

5

Thanks Michael. I pictured them coming up from the bottom but that certainly shortens the distance travelled as they work down the frame. I assume they extend the comb out to the 6-9mm gap on the way down.

6

They were invented by Julius Hoffman in 1889 and have been in common usage since at least the mid 1890s. :slight_smile:

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7

The gap stays a gap. In the winter, especially, bees are clustered across many combs and when a cold snap hits they need to be able to get around to the next comb by whatever means they can.

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