Imre Shim

A 3/4" spacer rim with an entrance notch that sits between honey supers, giving foragers a door straight into the super stack instead of routing every incoming load up through the brood nest. Relieving that traffic is one of the oldest swarm-prevention moves in the book — the design is George Imirie's, and it comes with one firm rule: drawn comb only. Ships assembled, ready to paint. 10 Frame equipment only.

Features

• 3/4" rim height — the Imirie standard, adding super-level access without adding a box
• Entrance notch gives field bees direct ingress and egress to the honey supers
• Relieves brood chamber congestion, one of the leading swarm triggers during a strong flow
• Aids honey production — shorter round trip per forager means faster turnaround
• Ships assembled — no nails, glue, or instructions to work through
• Select-grade Southern yellow pine, unfinished and ready for exterior paint
• Standard 10 Frame Langstroth footprint

How it works in real life

During a heavy flow, every returning forager lands at the bottom board and walks up through the brood nest to reach storage space. That's thousands of trips an hour across the frames your queen is trying to lay in. The congestion itself — not just a shortage of comb — is what tips a colony toward swarm cells. A shim gives those bees their own door at super level, and they'll find it within a day.

Imirie's supering pattern went like this: two supers above the queen excluder, then a shim, then the third and fourth supers, then a second shim, then the fifth super, topped with an inner cover notched for an upper entrance. If you're running two or three supers, one shim between the first and second is plenty. The shim goes on when the supers go on, and comes off when you pull the honey.

The drawn comb rule exists because 3/4" deliberately breaks bee space. Over drawn comb, the bees have no reason to fill that gap and will leave it alone. Over foundation, they read it as construction space and will build burr comb across it, welding the two boxes together. Same reason it has no business in the brood chamber. There's a useful diagnostic buried in this: if you're running drawn comb and the bees still build burr comb in the shim space, they're telling you they're out of storage room. Add a super.

Before you order

This fits 10 Frame equipment only — it will not work on 8 Frame or 5 Frame boxes. A shim relieves traffic congestion; it does not replace adequate super space, so it's a supplement to timely supering rather than a substitute for it. Per Imirie's original guidance, don't place it in direct contact with a queen excluder, don't use it in the brood area, and don't leave it on through fall and winter as a permanent upper entrance. Remember that every extra entrance is another entrance the colony has to defend — pull the shim at the end of the flow, and definitely before a dearth sets in, or you invite robbing. Ships unfinished; exterior latex on the outside surfaces only will add years to it.

Pairs Well With

• 10 Frame Beehive Parts — medium supers, frames, and excluders to build out the stack the shim sits in
• Screen Inner Cover, 5/8/10 Frame — top ventilation to pair with the added super-level airflow
• Slatted Rack, 10 Frame — the other half of the congestion equation, giving the queen room to lay lower in the comb
• Queen Excluder, 10 Frame — keeps brood out of the supers the shim is feeding

Specifications

• Frame size: 10 Frame Langstroth
• Rim height: 3/4"
• Outside dimensions: 19-7/8" L × 16-1/4" W × 3/4" H
• Material: Select-grade Southern yellow pine
• Entrance: notched opening
• Assembly: Ships assembled
• Finish: Unfinished, paintable
• Application: Between honey supers of drawn comb only

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly does the shim go?

Between two honey supers of drawn comb, above the queen excluder. On a tall stack, run one between the first and second supers and another between the third and fourth. It does not belong in the brood chamber.

Why only drawn comb?

Bees will fill the 3/4" gap with burr comb if they're already in building mode drawing foundation, welding your boxes together. Over drawn comb they leave the space alone.

Will the bees actually use the new entrance?

Yes, usually within a day. Watch the shim notch on a good flow day and you'll see steady traffic going straight into the supers.

Can I use it for pollen patties or winter sugar cakes?

The 3/4" height will hold a patty above the frame bars, and plenty of beekeepers use shims that way. Just note that Imirie specifically cautioned against leaving a notched shim on as a fall or winter upper entrance — if that's your main use, a purpose-built feeding shim is the better tool.

Do I need one for every super?

No. One shim per two supers is the usual approach. More entrances than that gets counterproductive.

Does it fit 8 Frame equipment?

No. This is 10 Frame only.

When do I take it off?

When you pull the supers, or sooner if a dearth arrives. Leaving it on past the flow adds a robbing entrance and eventually invites burr comb.

Does it need paint?

Not required, but exterior latex on the outer surfaces will extend its life considerably. Leave the interior bare.