# Grooved BB Frames/Divided BB Frames



## Anny (Dec 4, 2008)

What is the difference between a langstorth hive with Divided BB Frames, or with Grooved BB frames? Photos would be helpful if you can provide them. 
Which do you prefer and why? 

Thank you!


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## Ardilla (Jul 17, 2006)

Grooved bottom bars have a saw kerf part way through the bar. With divided bottom bars, the saw kerf goes all the way through the bar.

I use foundationless frames mostly - so I prefer solid bottom bars. Otherwise I use grooved. IMO, the more wood that is cut away the weaker the frame will be.


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## devdog108 (May 7, 2009)

I have a mixture of both. I bought the plastic deeps covered in beeswax. They have filled out 8/10 frames, no problem. This past weekend on the advice from dear ol'e dad, I decided to pull the 2nd deep(they hadn't touched it as of yet) and go with just foundation. I was not expecting the divided bottom boards, but the bees have shown me that they will glue and seal everything togther with propolis and wax. I put the new foundation in last night and it was like a ant colony on a dead animal. Within 20 minutes, they were ALL OVER the foundation, where they would barley touch the plasticcell. and it wasnt any more difficult to put together. The only thing that bothered me was how the foundation was held into place. By pressure.....but it has been used for a long time....so who am i to change it!


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## Anny (Dec 4, 2008)

So for the foundationless frames which frames do you use?


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## NeilV (Nov 18, 2006)

If you are using foundation, I prefer grooved over divided. Have a solid but grooved bottom bar provides more support for the foundation before it is drawn.

I also suspect that divided bottom bars would provide a good place for SHB to hide, although I have not had much problem with SHB in any of my hives (and some have supers with divided bottom bars). 

Neil


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## Ardilla (Jul 17, 2006)

Anny said:


> So for the foundationless frames which frames do you use?


You can use any type. I use grooved top bar with solid bottom bar. There are a several threads where many opinions are voiced on peoples' prefered frame and guide type for foundationless.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Grooved are better in my opinion. They have a solid bottom surface. Divided bottom bars have a space that gets filled with wax, and the bees will start swarm cells up in there...hard to spot when young.


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