What should I do when brood box is full of brood? Should I take out a frame of brood and replace with foundation or use 2 brood boxes?
12 x14 brood box full of brood.
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Your queen has filled a complete 14 x 12 hive - all 10 or 11 frames both sides with brood ? No honey stores or pollen around the brood area ? Incredible - not impossible but you have a remarkable queen if this is the case ...
OP
There is a pollen and honey arch on most frames but the queen is running out of laying space.
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I might be tempted to split them.
Do a Wally Shaw modified Snelgrove II
http://www.wbka.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Swarm-Control-Wally-Shaw.pdf
PS edit....OR you could add a shallow on top.....but I would split them before they split themselves
Do a Wally Shaw modified Snelgrove II
http://www.wbka.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Swarm-Control-Wally-Shaw.pdf
PS edit....OR you could add a shallow on top.....but I would split them before they split themselves
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Yes ... that's an awsome colony. I would split them - double brood on 14 x 12 is going to be a heck of a job to inspect - lifting a 14 x 12 brood box off to inspect the bottom box is a real heavy lift. Brood and a half is rarely a good solution ...
If you split and get another colony like that you are going to do very well.
Awesome at this time of the year ... by the time they have made queen cells you will be into May for an emergine queen ... solves the problem of them taking matters into their own hands and swarming (indeed - I'm surprised you don't already HAVE queen cells - awesome bees !) and a good time for a new queen to get mated ...
Excellent situation all round ...
OP
I am going to do a shaw modified snelgrove ll no Thursday evening.. Thanks for the solution.. not do one before
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Follow it to the letter. Make sure your re-queening hive is well away from any others you have and preferably facing a different way and you will be fine
OP
will do.. THANKS
OP
You can have a quick look as there are showing signs of swaming. No good having warm bees if they swam
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I'm on nationals too with 3 hives overwintered, one aggressive merged into placid hive going extraordinarily well the other hive was low on space and has gone double brood now too as was starting to lay in a nadired super that I flipped back above.
May be worth a quick peek when they are flying to estimate the space they have.
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DaveS
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I'm not far from you and had a look on Monday -all hives with 8 or 9 frames of BIAS (14x12) and plenty of drones. I've risked (due to probable pending awful mating weather) a pre-emptive split of two of them. Rape is a bit earlier than usual where I am so wouldn't be surprised if they are plotting their next move.
For the OP like others I would split too.
REDWOOD
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Double rood it otherwise they will swarm, I don't see why you should split a strong colony if there are no signs of swarming, you should get a good crop of that one
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jd101k2000
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I have one colony Ina similar state. The bees inspector was here yesterday and expressed surprise that the queen had obviously laid up an entire frame of eggs in a day 14x12. That queens mother was similarly prolific. By a week later last year she had stuffed two 14x12 brood boxes and was ready to swarm!
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Yes ... but they are 14 x 12 boxes and a 14 x 12 brood box full is a heck of a weight to lift off every time you want to inspect ... and even with all that extra space you cannot guarantee they won't decide to swarm - so it just makes inspections that much harder.
I would split - you would still have plenty of time for a second colony to build up and produce a honey crop and the existing colony is going to be a strong one anyway. I'd rather have two colonies of that ilk and risk a slightly reduced crop as next year .. oh boy .. two crackers like that going !! or THREE OR FOUR if they make more queen cells that can be reared into starter colonies ...
And then there's a dearth and they need feeding?
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Innit always the case ... the decision you make now is inevitably the wrong one in hindsight !! Anything to do with bees is usually a gamble on what the future holds. I left all my spring honey on last year and then we had that dreadful May and the little beggars ate the lot !!
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Same here
