# Boxes won't fit.....help please...



## postie (Oct 15, 2011)

Hello All,
For whatever reason I have a deep hive body that has somehow warped slightly out of shape. I used this box last year and had no problems (I run two deep brood boxes). A couple of weeks ago I split a colony and the half with the established queen is doing excellent and has filled her box nicely. I NOW need to add her second box but one corner is at least a quarter inch off so the top box rocks back and forth, not to mention it is far more than the bees can fill. Does anyone have any suggestions what I can do??? I don't feel I can move all the established frames and queen into a new box (too much disturbance for a relatively recent split) and I don't know how one would shim up something for a good fit. I'd appreciate any advice or help as I MUST get the top box on to make some room for the massive brood being produced!!!! Thanks ahead!


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

As a quick fix shim the box equally so you have a 1/8" gap on two sides and then run some tape around the boxes.


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## DPBsbees (Apr 14, 2011)

Why not use some rubber, or foam, weatherstripping to fill in the gap?


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

When I say "shim" I'm thinking pieces of twigs or popsicle sticks, or whatever is at hand...


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

DPBsbees said:


> Why not use some rubber, or foam, weatherstripping to fill in the gap?


Using any of the above will increase the spacing between the boxes and not be helpful, imo.


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## postie (Oct 15, 2011)

How would you place the shims (I'm thinking of the popsicle sticks)? If I place the top box on, three corners touch nicely, while the fourth corner would sit up about 1/4 inch (and obviously you could rock opposite corners back and forth). Standing BEHIND the behive, it is the front left corner and the rear right corner that will not stabilize. Thanks again.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

If the choice is to not use the box or shim it, then shim it. One way that I might do that is to drive a flathead screw into the 3/4" thick edge of the box. Screw it in enough until the screw acts as leg to stop the rocking. If you then want to block the gap, screw some scrap to the outside edge of the warped box to close the gap, It may not be pretty, but it will be functional.


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## RogerCrum (Jun 19, 2011)

Place a concrete block diagonally across the top and a bit of duck tape on the gap. The weight will take the rack out of the box shortly.


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## gone2seed (Sep 18, 2011)

What Roger said except that I would use two blocks.In other words,warp it back into level.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

Seems like we've finally found a use for the 5-gallon pails filled with water.... :lpf:


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

The bees won't care, in fact they'll probably like it. 1/4" isn't a problem.


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## postie (Oct 15, 2011)

Ross said:


> The bees won't care, in fact they'll probably like it. 1/4" isn't a problem.


The quarter inch was too much...with the gap on the corner and the unsteadiness of the top box, the bees were flying out the sides. I'm pretty sure this would leave them wide open to robbing and also leave some room for burr comb. 

If I use weights on top, what I would be doing is warping the top (empty) box to fit the warped (full) bottom box...that might make both boxes unusable for interchanging later, not sure. What does sound good is the shimming ideas and then tape up the distance, I'd just want to be sure not to put any of the "sticky" towards the inside of the gap where the bees would stick. We are having high winds and rain for today, so the girls will have to wait at least one more day...I sure don't want to chase down any more swarms! All the ideas are great ones and definitely giving me some options I would have never thought up...I'm always open to creative ideas and usually I'm not too good at that!


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## NCbeek (Mar 23, 2011)

If you want to take them out of one box and put them into another I say go for it. What's the harm? No different than pulling frames for inspection. I have a bottom board that is like that. Just used a ratchet strap to pull it together tight.


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

> What does sound good is the shimming ideas and then tape up the distance, I'd just want to be sure not to put any of the "sticky" towards the inside of the gap where the bees would stick.


I wouldn't worry about that...


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## Greg755 (Jan 29, 2012)

get a wood plane and shave it down a little...


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

For temporary fix, duct tape is the easiest.


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## Harvester (Jan 19, 2013)

postie said:


> Hello All,
> For whatever reason I have a deep hive body that has somehow warped slightly out of shape. I used this box last year and had no problems (I run two deep brood boxes). A couple of weeks ago I split a colony and the half with the established queen is doing excellent and has filled her box nicely. I NOW need to add her second box but one corner is at least a quarter inch off so the top box rocks back and forth, not to mention it is far more than the bees can fill. Does anyone have any suggestions what I can do??? I don't feel I can move all the established frames and queen into a new box (too much disturbance for a relatively recent split) and I don't know how one would shim up something for a good fit. I'd appreciate any advice or help as I MUST get the top box on to make some room for the massive brood being produced!!!! Thanks ahead!


DUCT TAPE!!!! Too the rescue!


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## Sticky Bear (Mar 15, 2012)

I would verify which box is the culprit and if your bottom box is warped then it is possible it is due to the bottom board. The weight on top will work but you might need to shim from underneath bottom board to get all boxes back into square. If it is just the bottom box then the top box with weight will realign without warping your top box if you distribute the weight evenly on the top.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

Use some drywall tape so it ventilated but will keep bees from entering/ robbing if your bees don't like it they will close it up


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

A couple of concrete blocks on the cover will usually set it down flat and it will warp back into shape over time.


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

postie said:


> The quarter inch was too much...with the gap on the corner and the unsteadiness of the top box, the bees were flying out the sides. I'm pretty sure this would leave them wide open to robbing and also leave some room for burr comb.
> 
> If I use weights on top, what I would be doing is warping the top (empty) box to fit the warped (full) bottom box...that might make both boxes unusable for interchanging later, not sure. What does sound good is the shimming ideas and then tape up the distance, I'd just want to be sure not to put any of the "sticky" towards the inside of the gap where the bees would stick. We are having high winds and rain for today, so the girls will have to wait at least one more day...I sure don't want to chase down any more swarms! All the ideas are great ones and definitely giving me some options I would have never thought up...I'm always open to creative ideas and usually I'm not too good at that!


Still not a problem. Lots of my boxes have corners out and other openings. A decent hive won't get robbed out in a 1/4". Your entrance is far larger. I also prop tops up.


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## Solomon Parker (Dec 21, 2002)

I agree with what has been said. Put the box on, put some weight on it, the bees will fill in the details. 

It happens all the time. If you keep your boxes in stacks regularly, they will tend to stay better aligned in that way, but they do change shape with humidity and temperature. It is the nature of wood.


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## bhfury (Nov 25, 2008)

Michael Bush said:


> A couple of concrete blocks on the cover will usually set it down flat and it will warp back into shape over time.


ratchet staps work too.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Yes, a strap would work fine. I just don't seem to have enough straps... but the big advantage of the straps is you don't have to lift the blocks off...


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## postie (Oct 15, 2011)

I whittled some thin shims and stuck them in at each corner then ran a strip of duct tape around the box. It looks pretty neat (not as in "cool"), but as in tidy. When I get a chance to change out the box at some later date, I will do that. For now, seems to be working well. I also put some blocks on top. I just felt in a crunch for time because the bottom box was a split that DID have the queen and was wall to wall brood....plus, swarms everywhere. I was just brain dead I think. I APPRECIATE all the ideas and will put them all to good use over time.  Thanks everyone!!!


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