PasiekaOlek · Małopolskie, PL · Gear · Jun 16, 2026

9 frames or 10 in the brood box — did I get talked into a mistake?

Old timer at my local association swears by running 9 frames in a 10-frame brood box once the combs are drawn — says the extra space makes inspections gentler, fewer rolled bees, fewer squashed queens, and the outside frames get drawn fat with honey which the bees like against the wall for insulation. So I spaced two of my five hives to 9 this spring. Now another member tells me I've broken bee space and they'll bridge-comb everything solid by August. So far the 9-frame hives look fine, maybe slightly fatter outer combs. Who's right? Is this a legit practice or one of those things that works for one stubborn guy and nobody else?

#frame-spacing#brood-box#hive-setup

▲ 12 votes 💬 3 replies

3 replies

AlpineCarnica · Jun 16, 2026

Both are half right. Nine evenly-spaced drawn combs in a ten-frame box is a very old and legitimate practice — but the key word is DRAWN and the key skill is spacing them evenly, castellations or careful eye. The bees keep worker-comb faces at proper bee distance and just thicken the honey arcs. Where it goes wrong: 9 frames of foundation, or sloppy spacing. Then you get the bridge-comb mess your second member describes. I've run 9-over-brood for twenty years in Tyrol without drama.

MayaBees · Jun 17, 2026

I tried it for two seasons and went back to 10. Not because it failed — it works like AlpineCarnica says — but I kept forgetting to re-space after inspections and uneven gaps punished me every time. If you're disciplined it's nice. If you're a shove-them-back-together person like me, run 10 and save yourself.

DrentseBij · Jun 17, 2026

Worth separating brood box from supers in this debate. Nine (or even eight) in the super is nearly universal here — fat combs, easier uncapping. In the brood box the benefit is smaller and the risk of drone bridge comb between fat frames is real. I run 10 below, 9 above, and that's the boring middle answer.

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