I've retained this page for those who still have an interest in legacy beekeeping practices. This information, while interesting, is no longer a part of my natural beekeeping.
Universal Board
Could this be the Swiss Army Knife of beehive equipment?
Let me tell you, I've got them. I've got excluders, swarm boards, Cloake boards, double screens, single screens. And I'm going to try an upper entrance board! This stuff sets around in my garage. And is useless except for a few short weeks during the year. What a waste.
Having piles of single use items isn't a problem for a commercial beekeeper. When they use it, they need pallets of the stuff. And they use a forklift to move it. So, a pallet of this, or a pallet of that, makes little difference. For a hobbyist like myself, having all this stuff is expensive. And It's a pain to store.
Could a universal board replace all this stuff? Such a board could set on a hive and provide multiple, switchable functions. And it's use wouldn't require breaking a hive apart to switch functions.
It could function as:
- a swarm board with a solid bottom and top entrance
- a double screen with a top entrance
- an excluder with a top entrance
- a Cloake board
- an upper entrance
- a closed upper entrance without any barriers between supers
Maybe a universal board like this one would work. With the slide completely inserted and the entrance block on top, it would allow free communication between the supers and close the upper entrance.
With the slide inverted and withdrawn one notch, it's a swarm board
When the slide is withdrawn to the second notch, it's a double screen with an upper entrance.
With the slide in the third notch, it's an excluder with an upper entrance.
With the slide in the fourth notch, it's an upper entrance with free communication between the boxes.
Another approach would move the slide sideways rather than in and out. The narrower slide could be removed and the wider slide moved to either side to expose the double screen or excluder. With both slides out, the open space, in the middle, would allow free communication between the boxes. With both slides in, it's a swarm board.
Sliding sideways allows fewer options, but the slides don't stick out of the front either
I haven't build these yet. But plan to do so. What do you think? How could the design be improved or simplified?