# Do you use a follower board?



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Do you guys use a follower board to reduce the space the bees have to keep warm in the tbh during winter?

No.

>Does it matter?

I think it's useful if the box isn't full, but the box SHOULD be full going into winter...

> Trying to figure out if I need to put one in.

I've never bothered to build one yet. My TTBH I just start them in a medium nuc, and work my way up to the long box. The KTBH I just put them in and let them go. They would probably benefit from a follower though.


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## buckbee (Dec 2, 2004)

I use two follower boards (see plans on my site) and side entrances. I find this to be a versatile and flexible system, allowing a nuc to be housed in the same box as a regular colony, if required. It also provides extra insulation by keeping the colony in the centre section of the hive, away from the end walls. In my climate (SW UK) it works well.


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## MIKI (Aug 15, 2003)

Seeing how the bees heat the cluster and not the whole hive anyway I never bothered with them. I would consider using one for insurance, for a stressed colony going into the winter.


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## sierrabees (Jul 7, 2006)

I only built one TBH with two follower boards, thinking I would start colonies on both ends and combine them when they were strong enough. My season got a terrably late start this year due to loss of 80% of my hives last winter and not having enough bees left to do any splits until late in June and early July. I'm glad I had a follower board because the swarm I put in got started about the time the necter flow ended and hasn't done much. I have a section of about one foot of SBB at that end of the hive because I wanted the mites to be able to fall out of the brood chamber but I didn't want to cool the hive down too much in the winter. I never did get that second swarm started at the other end. I built my top cover in three sections so I could put a top feeder board of standard size over the brood end and be able to open up only one section at a time if I want to work them without disturbing the whole hive (Hope I eventually get enough bees into this contraption to need these handy dandy features!). What hives I have left are building up pretty normal so far this year. About 1/4 of them are not great but strong enough to hope they will make it without combining, about 1/4 are strong enough that I would make three splits if it wasn't November, and the rest are strong but not spectacular. Unfortunately this is the same picture I had last year at the end of December and it all went down the tubes in Jan.


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## BjornBee (Feb 7, 2003)

No I don't use one. But I agree that there is probably benefits of using one.


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## buckbee (Dec 2, 2004)

*follower boards*

I certainly wouldn't be without followers now, as they add so much versatility to a TBH: you can make splits, house a nuc at one end, inspect from both ends... and I am convinced of the winter insulation advantages. 

Good luck with building up your colonies. Do you use any treatments at all, or do you rely on natural cell?


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## BjornBee (Feb 7, 2003)

Buckbee,
I agree. Follower boards would help with warmth and radiant heat. I started a thead on beekeeping 101 forum dealing with this. Its entitled "urban legend..."


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## mistergil (May 24, 2007)

I use followers as well believing that limiting space and doling it out only as needed is beneficial in a number of ways already mentioned. Mine can be used in any bar location and are particularly valuable when initially hiving a population as low numbers and low usable space seems ideal from a manipulation standpoint. Later, if say only 24 tb's are drawn and it becomes late in the season, it is easy to limit the size there as they may be reluctant to draw more (space for 30 in these TTBH's).


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## Jon McFadden (Mar 26, 2005)

I use followers in my KTB hives. I discovered an additional use for them this year when I hived a new swarm. 
I had planned on making a feeder out of the follower, but decided on a simpler solution instead. Since I support my hives with the entrance at the low end of the hive, I cut an opening for a boardman feeder. It works like a champ. The feeder is not exposed to extreme temperature variations and any feed that leaks out is inside the back end away from the entrance.
http://nordykebeefarm.com/forum/forum_topics.asp?FID=6
Jon


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

*Standard hive user here*

I use follower boards in my Brother Adam hives (19 7/8" wide), 12 frames spaced on 1 3/8" centers leave room for two 3/8" wide follower boards. Now, the trick is not to break off the lugs. Haven't solved that problem yet.


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## buckbee (Dec 2, 2004)

odfrank said:


> I use follower boards in my Brother Adam hives (19 7/8" wide), 12 frames spaced on 1 3/8" centers leave room for two 3/8" wide follower boards. Now, the trick is not to break off the lugs. Haven't solved that problem yet.


You run Modified Dadants as top bar hives?


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

buckbee said:


> You run Modified Dadants as top bar hives?


No, the title said, standard hive user. Just my comments on using follower boards.


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## buckbee (Dec 2, 2004)

odfrank said:


> No, the title said, standard hive user. Just my comments on using follower boards.


Doh! Must read headers... must read headers... 

I hope you have a strong back - a year of heaving them around Buckfast Abbey was enough for me!


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

buckbee said:


> a year of heaving them around Buckfast Abbey was enough for me!


I don't think they are as heavy as a double Langstroth. Thats what friends are for. I am almost complete with my trailer that holds six, when they die out full of Honey I deal with them frame by frame. I visited Brother Adam in 1978 and built the ten hives after that. I just lost a hive that went for seven years with a Buckfast strain from Ontario.


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