14x12 to standard brood box

rodneydavies · Dec 18, 2017

Hi
I have one 14 x 12 brood box hive which i wish to move to a standard brood box (same as my other two hives), what is the best way to achieve this ?

Put new standard brood above 14x12 and let them fill build new net or below ?

thanks in advance

Rodney

peteinwilts · Dec 18, 2017

obviously a spring task!

I dumped about a dozen 14x12's after finding they aggravated my back issues.

I just performed a gradual comb exchange through the year. Most of the brace comb that appears below the frames tends to be drone anyway. once the comb exchange is complete, switch boxes.
If you do it early enough, it will have little impact anyway..

alternatively, you could do a shook swarm (silly idea IMHO), or pop a box on top, but you may find them reluctant to move up without incentive.

Hebeegeebee · Dec 18, 2017

New BB above the 14 x 12. Feed. Once they have started to draw comb, place a queen excluder between boxes with the queen upstairs. After 3 weeks (or 24 days if drone brood present) the bottom box will be free of brood and the bees will be on new comb. What clears the bottom box better is to have a top entrance - use an eke of an inch or two and have an entrance above the q/excluder and close off the bottom entrance. They will tend to move the stores up above the excluder as they naturally will put stores around and above the brood.

yes - a spring job!

Hebeegeebee · Dec 18, 2017

You have lurked a while Rodney!

rodneydavies · Dec 18, 2017

Thanks
yes spring job just thinking ahead

Rodney

Erichalfbee · Dec 18, 2017

If you put the new box on top it pays to put an entrance between the two boxes to save the bees putting too much pollen in the lower box.
Just like a Bailey change.