# Cloake Board Plan?



## mwjohnson (Nov 19, 2004)

I've sorta looked for one, but not having any luck.

Pictures (thanks Mr. Bush) are great, and even though I've kinda got it, I'd really like to find an assembly, or working drawing.

Anybody?

Thanks,
Mark


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

I took a wooden bound queen excluder and added 3/4" strips around 3 sides, leaving the front edge open. Done. All you need then is a 1/4" plywood slide that covers the wire area.


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## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

Here is a link to plans created in SketchUp. The plans are in a zip compressed file for ease of transport.

http://www.wjclemens.com/cordovan-honeybee/images/QueenRearing/SketchUpPlans/Cloake Board.zip

The SketchUp program is free from Google, then you can see the plans and zoom in to see the dimensions. These plans do just show the rail framework, the board itself is just a piece of 1/4" plywood, fiberboard, etc. cut to size and with petrolium jelly applied to its edges to keep it from being glued into place by the bees.

Like Ross said, it would be easy to modify a wooden queen excluder to create this piece of equipment.


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## Jack Grimshaw (Feb 10, 2001)

http://website.lineone.net/~dave.cushman/cloake.html

I don't believe demensions are for Lang hives

Use: http://website.lineone.net/~dave.cushman/method2.html


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## mwjohnson (Nov 19, 2004)

Thanks everyone.
Looks like building one is gonna be the easy part...

Mark


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## rmdial (Jun 30, 2009)

Is normal bee space required between board and top box? Or is bigger space better?

Thanks,

Soapy


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

You can go a little more than bee space as the inserted slide simulates a bottom board for the upper hive. I made the frame a little more than an inch thick and the slide groove is two saw kerfs wide. The upper entrance is a notch about 4 inches wide and cut down to the saw kerfs of the slide recess. I made the slide itself from aluminum flashing and folded the edges back doubled and flattened just to give a bit of stiffness. The tighter you seal off the more you isolate the queen pheremones so you dont want to leave too much gap around any of the edges of the slide.

I didnt manipulate the hives myself but am told that 3 or 4 queen cells were started almost immediately in the two hives the boards were put into.


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## psisk (Jul 21, 2011)

IF!!!! I can remember I will measure the one I just built and put the deminsions on here for others. Only I used a one eight piece of aluminum for the slide. I have a sheet I have been hunting something to use it for. 

psisk


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