Additional BB

[Stevo1977]

Hi Folks,

It looks like the Buckfast in my second Hive could Do with some extra room. The question I have is if I add a secondary (empty) BB below a nearly full super is it likely they will move the honey down into the new BB?

 

[Vortex]

If I understand you correctly.. you have a Buckfast Queen in a standard national with a super above a queen excluder.
Firstly you can't run your queen in a single brood national.. you either need to run double brood or 14x12.
But in a sort of answer to your question, yes put the new brood box, over the existing brood, then the queen excluder then the super. And they're unlikely to move the honey down.

 

[Poly Hive]

And they will treat that BB as a super.

I put my 2nd BB's UNDER the first one so it is then a continuation of the brood. Whch is what happens in a tree. Brood expands down and honey up.

PH

 

[BernardBlack]

If you put an empty B.B. UNDER the existing box, are you not giving foraging bees more travelling to do? Ok it’s only a foot or so, but even so.

Also, wouldn’t you have less bees in the bottom box (to begin with anyway), and therefore more prone to invaders as there’s less guards about?

 

[Stevo1977]

Thanks Vortex, you got it exactly.

 

[AndyJ01]

Definitely the 2nd BB below the existing. I did this with three hives this spring, two expanded down into the new space. One didn't need it and is happy in the one BB still.

A forager that has flown up to two miles to collect isn't going to be phased by crawling another 20cm!!

 

[Poly Hive]

I think you are inventing problems Bernard. I put one frame of brood below and put a foundation in its place. Never seen problems with wasps but we don't have that many here so not an issue I am troubled with. As for the distance oh come on how far do they run in trees for instance. They soon fill up the bottom box usually in two to three weeks.

Works for most I believe.

PH

 

[enrico]

i too would go for new brood box UNDER the present one. They will use it as and when they need it. Otherwise they may fill it with honey and you have gained nothing.
E

 

[Madge]

Stevo,

I would divide the brood between the two boxes, setting the frames directly above each other.

Put a new frame with foundation next to the brood in the top box.

Divide the remaining frames between the boxes and add more foundation or dummies to fill the space.

For more information on double-brood management, read Ian Craig’s ‘My Beekeeping Year’ here: https://www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk/images/education/studynotes/MyBeekeepingYear.pdf

 

[Poly Hive]

That is extra faffing about.

Just put one brood down below and a foundation in the middle above in the space made by putting one down, the bees will quickly build below and get it laid up. The less messing about the better. It should take no longer than three minutes to achieve.

PH

 

[Madge]

That is extra faffing about. ...

PH

Just dividing brood between two boxes is faffing?!

Are you dissing our Ian Craig?

 

[Poly Hive]

I am saying it can be done with less disturbance and Ian whilst no doubt a good beekeeper was like all of us not perfect. I'm pretty sure that if he found or knew of a better way he would be using it. As should we all.

PH

 

[MartinL]

Just dividing brood between two boxes is faffing?!

When it's just a case of lifting off the boxes & putting them straight back,

Yes.

Are you dissing our Ian Craig?

The well known Antipodean?
or the fictional R4-character??

Maybe???

 

[Anduril]

I've done it both ways, as has been mentioned, above and they use it to store honey. Good for drawing out brood frames and as long as you have an extractor capable of extracting brood frames, then it is good, but I use the frames the next year. Brood box underneath(which I do around February/March if on single brood) and they will move down when necessary. Sometimes you will see stores below the brood, usually changes the next year. Moving frames around above and below I tend not to do.