Best way of changing out a national to 14x12

[I'll Bee Back]

While everyone here is correct in what they say, they have all failed to take one basic step that ensures absolute success.

You leave a good beekeeping book on the crown board, under the roof, with the feed hole open, about a week before you start the change. By doing so, the bees will know exactly what's happening and all will go smoothly.

You know I'm right!

[Patrick]

Absolutely!

Likewise when hiving a swarm of unknown origin, use an open copy of Ted Hooper as a ramp for them to read as they go in. Only way to make the house rules clear from the outset, no excuses later.

[NigelP]

Alternatively we should blame the authors of such tomes for not having the slightest understanding of what they were writing about.
Bees have changed little for 1000's of years, yet modern books still contain the same stupid mistakes and glaring errors....it's as though they copy the last authors "mistake" and seem to dare not challenge the past errors. Or they put their black bee head on and totally distort the whole picture for everyone. As soon as you see "locally adapted" anywhere in a book/post etc be very very sceptical....
The last decent bee keeping books where written by R.O.B MANLEY. (IMHO )
Hooper you can throw in the bin it;'s so error riddled and dated....yet we still hold it up as a "good book" on beekeeping. Threw my copy there a long time ago,

Y

[Jim Norfolk]

Perhaps this is not the thread for it Nigel but it would be interesting to see a list of these glaring errors and stupid mistakes, so us ordinary beekeepers can avoid making them. My beekeeping has involved reading numerous books, as I used to run our division library, then going out and doing my own thing and learning from my mistakes.

I once put some of the frames from a standard WBC broodbox into a 14 x 12 broodbox and the bees made some lovely curved comb underneath. It required a long knife to cut the frames apart. The next time I did it I used a Bailey comb change. Since then I have not used 14 x 12 as I find the frames awkward to handle and doubt I could lift a full box without needing medical help afterwards.

I do however quite like brood and a half where appropriate.

[NigelP]

Perhaps this is not the thread for it Nigel but it would be interesting to see a list of these glaring errors and stupid mistakes,

Yes, wrong thread....I shall start a new one.
I suggest we limit ourselves to one mistake and reasons per post....