Beehive Dummy Boards, Follower Boards and Dividers: A Complete UK Guide

What Are Dummy Boards and Hive Dividers?

A dummy board is usually a removable, frame-height board positioned beside the combs to make inspection easier. A follower board acts as a movable internal boundary, often reducing the space available to a colony. A division board is a partition: where two independent colonies share one hive body, it must form a genuinely bee-tight separation.

These names overlap in UK catalogues. You may see a follower board described as a division board, or a thick insulated follower described as a fat dummy. The safest approach is to check the purpose, the fit, the thickness and whether bees can pass around it, rather than buying by name alone.

The Different Types of Beehive Boards

These are useful design categories, not eight universally standardised products. Manufacturers may use two or more of these names for the same board.

Standard dummy board

This is the simplest version: usually a thin board with a top bar or lugs that allow it to hang like a frame. It is commonly placed at the edge of a set of brood frames. Removing it first gives you space to move the next frame without rolling bees between adjacent combs. Our step-by-step hive inspection guide explains how to handle and replace frames carefully.

Advantages: inexpensive, simple and useful during routine inspections.

Disadvantages: little insulation and normally not a suitable separator for two colonies.

Follower board

A follower board defines where the usable nest space ends. Depending on the hive and the board's dimensions, bees may be able to pass over, under or around it. It is often used with small colonies or expanding nucleus colonies, and is especially familiar in top-bar beekeeping.

Advantages: adjustable space, useful for a small colony.

Disadvantages: a loose fit may encourage comb behind the board and must not be assumed to isolate a queen. See how to prevent and correct cross-comb if bees build unwanted comb in empty spaces.

Division board

A true division board physically separates two compartments. A split brood box can only safely house independent colonies if the partition prevents bees from crossing and the system provides suitable entrances, ventilation, feeders and access for each colony. Some commercially named “division boards” are actually just followers, so check the design carefully.

Advantages: enables certain two-colony, queen-rearing or split-hive arrangements.

Disadvantages: poor fit can allow queens or workers to cross; colony management becomes more complex.

Insulated dummy board

An insulated dummy combines the shape of a dummy or follower board with a thermally resistive core. It may use wood shavings, closed-cell foam or a purpose-made insulating panel. It is especially attractive for a small brood nest where the beekeeper wishes to reduce the volume of unused space.

Advantages: can reduce heat transfer through the boundary.

Disadvantages: usually wider and costlier than a plain dummy; any exposed core needs protection.

Fat dummy board and the Enid Brown design

A fat dummy occupies the width of more than one thin board or even several conventional frame spaces. An Enid Brown (EB) style insulated dummy is one well-known wide insulated form. The important features are its thickness, insulating construction and intended use—not the name alone.

Advantages: an adjustable, insulated limit to the brood nest.

Disadvantages: fewer frames fit in the box and timely expansion remains essential as the colony grows.

Foil-faced and rigid-foam dividers

These are often DIY versions of insulated followers rather than separate functional categories. PIR, XPS and EPS all insulate, but differ in rigidity, durability and surface properties. A foil-facing is not a guarantee of extra thermal performance: reflective benefits depend on the construction and a suitable adjacent air space.

Advantages: lightweight and can be made to a specific depth or thickness.

Disadvantages: edges may be damaged by bees or hive tools, and some exposed surfaces cannot be hygienically cleaned.

What Materials Are Used?

Yes, plastic dummy boards are sold in the UK, as are wooden, plywood and insulated versions. A plastic board may simply be an easy-clean, solid divider; it should not automatically be described as thermally insulated.

The material matters because it affects durability, cleanability, insulation, weight and cost. In practice, many beekeepers choose a simple wooden dummy for inspection space and reserve insulated or specialist boards for more specific colony-management uses.

Sizes, Thicknesses and Hive Compatibility

There is no universal thickness for a UK dummy board. Some are thin plywood boards, some are moulded plastic panels, and insulated versions can be many times thicker. The frame's nominal dimensions do not necessarily equal the external size of the board.

These figures describe examples encountered in UK DIY instructions and supplier listings, not fixed manufacturing standards. For an explanation of common frame formats, see Beehive Frames Explained. Exact size, the meaning of “width”, lug length and the space taken up between frames vary by product. Check the current supplier drawing before ordering or cutting material.

What is bee space?

Bee space is the narrow gap that honeybees generally leave open for passage, often described as roughly 6–9 mm. Larger unwanted gaps may attract brace comb; overly narrow gaps may be sealed with propolis. A dummy or follower must be fitted for its specific function: maintaining passage and making a completely bee-tight partition are different design requirements.

Advantages and Disadvantages at a Glance

Insulation may improve the thermal characteristics of a hive boundary, but a particular board does not automatically guarantee healthier bees, higher honey yields or improved winter survival.

Dummy Board, Follower or Division Board: What Is the Difference?

Think about bee movement, not just the product label. These simplified diagrams show the important functional distinction.

When Should You Use One?

During inspections

A standard dummy board is useful at the outer edge of a British National brood box. Remove it first, shift the adjacent frame gently into the space and continue inspecting without crushing bees against the next comb.

With a small colony or nucleus

A follower or insulated dummy can reduce the amount of unoccupied space. Check regularly that the colony has adequate food and enough room for brood expansion.

As the colony expands in spring

Move or remove a thick dummy before it restricts laying space or stores. Managing a brood nest is an ongoing task, not a one-off winter arrangement.

In a honey super

Shallow dummy boards exist, but their use depends on the super and the spacing system. Some beekeepers use them for inspection space; others use appropriately spaced complete frames. For timing and space management, see our guide to when to add honey supers. Avoid creating broad empty areas in which bees will build unwanted comb.

In cold weather

An insulated follower may reduce heat loss through the side boundary, but it cannot replace adequate winter stores, good hive condition and appropriate management of moisture. See feeding bees for winter in the UK for advice on assessing stores. Avoid moving heavy stores or disturbing the nest unnecessarily in unsuitable weather.

Separating two colonies

Use only a system specifically designed for independent compartments, with a proven bee-tight partition, separate entrances and suitable management. An ordinary removable dummy board is not sufficient.

Common Questions and Practical Mistakes

• Assuming plastic means insulated: thin plastic may be tougher and easier to clean but is not equivalent to a thick insulated board.
• Buying on name alone: “division board” may mean a follower, not a sealed two-colony partition.
• Using the wrong depth: National brood, 14 × 12 and shallow super boards are not interchangeable.
• Leaving excess space behind the board: bees may build brace or wild comb there.
• Forgetting spring expansion: a thick board reduces the space available for frames and stores.
• Leaving bare insulation exposed: foam can be damaged and difficult to clean.

Can you make a dummy board yourself?

Yes. A DIY plywood board can be a straightforward project, provided the dimensions are checked against the actual hive. Use a sound, flat panel and ensure any top bar sits correctly on the frame runners. Insulated versions require durable, well-sealed faces and edges; a two-colony divider requires a more rigorous bee-tight fit.

Do you need one or two?

For simple inspection space, one standard dummy board is often enough. Two insulated boards may be used in certain brood-nest narrowing methods, but there is no universal requirement to use two. Match the arrangement to the colony, stores, available frame space and season.

Other Hive Boards That Are Not Dummy or Follower Boards

A queen excluder or crown board also sits inside a hive stack, but it is horizontal equipment rather than a frame-position divider. Do not group these together in a product comparison:

• Queen excluder
• Crown board / cover board
• Clearer or bee-escape board
• Snelgrove board and double-screen board
• Cloake board for queen rearing
• Bailey change board and specialised split boards

Likewise, a division-board feeder occupies a frame space but is primarily a feeder, not a separator. Queen introduction cages, isolation frames and drone trapping frames also have separate functions.

Which should a beginner choose?

For a typical British National brood box, begin with a properly sized standard dummy board if you want inspection working space. Our UK beekeeping equipment guide covers other essentials for a beginner. Consider an insulated follower if you have a clear colony-management reason to narrow the occupied space. Choose a genuine division board only for a compatible split-hive or queen-rearing arrangement.

Frequently Asked Questions