The Magic of Thin Grafting Frames
-Discovering the Wonders of Thin Grafting Frames.
In my journey of beekeeping, I’ve tinkered with various grafting frames. Initially, I used a standard 1 3/8″ frame with wide cell bars, capable of carrying two rows of cells in a staggered fashion. The setup included an additional comb section above the cell bars, and a reinforced frame end with a bottom bar.
However, this year sparked my curiosity, leading me to experiment with a sleek and slender thin grafting frame and bar. Crafted at home, this frame boasts a width of about 3/4″—slightly wider than a queen cell, leaving a bee-friendly space on each side. Simplicity is key.
The outcomes from using this frame have been quite pleasing:
- Easier maintenance of bee density
- Improved control over the hive environment
- Consistently high-quality cells, even toward the frame’s ends
It seems the bees find and tend to the cells more efficiently. Surprisingly, the acceptance rate when grafting with these bars hovers around an impressive 99%-100%, a significant leap from my usual 90%.
The construction of this slim frame involves a top bar measuring 3/4″ x 5/8″ x 19″. The end bars, made from the same stock as the top bar, feature dado cuts on each side to cradle the cell bars. Interestingly, these frames omit a bottom bar.
The cell bars share the same stock as the top bar and sides, sporting a single saw kerf down the middle to snugly accommodate my JZBZ plastic cups. Adding a touch of beeswax in the dado cuts ensures the bars stay in place when the frames are handled.
Two of these frames effortlessly replace a standard-sized grafting frame, distributing the cells evenly and mimicking the natural queen cell densities more closely.
As a little tip, I give my plastic cups a thin beeswax coating. The same treatment is extended to all new grafting frames and bars before their inaugural use.
-Experimenting with the bees has its rewards, D 🐝🤠
