After a frame change....

[ShinySideUp]

I want to do some frame changes this spring as some of them are getting a bit daggy. The worst frames are in the middle and will undoubtedly have brood on them when I want to change them. I believe I move the bad ones to the outside but what happens to the brood that is on them? Will the bees tend to them if they are away from the centre or will they just be ignored and die?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

the further from the middle of the nest the frames are, the less brood you will find on them, until the season gets well underway and the queen goes into overdrive

 

[jeff33]

I guess it will depends on the size of your cluster when you do it. If it's only 1 or 2 that needs changing you could put a frame of foundation in the middle and add more as they draw them out and fill them. Eventually your old combs will be on the outside. Otherwise if you have lots, do à Bailey change... But not too early in the season.

 

[Funny honey]

I work on a rotation adding new from the front oldest at the back you joined here 2 years ago when did you start I’ve got frames that are 3 years old and I would say the perfectly fine depends on your view of them though

 

[enrico]

Every visit take one outside frame out from one end and put a new one in the other end. By the time the brood frames reach the outside the brood will have emerged. Obviously if all frames have brood then don't take one out!
E

 

[ShinySideUp]

Every visit take one outside frame out from one end and put a new one in the other end. By the time the brood frames reach the outside the brood will have emerged. Obviously if all frames have brood then don't take one out!
E

Now that is a bloody good idea.

 

[ShinySideUp]

I work on a rotation adding new from the front oldest at the back you joined here 2 years ago when did you start I’ve got frames that are 3 years old and I would say the perfectly fine depends on your view of them though

Ditto my last post. Of course my frames were new two years ago but the bees came on frames that were not new of course.

 

[Curly green fingers]

I guess it will depends on the size of your cluster when you do it. If it's only 1 or 2 that needs changing you could put a frame of foundation in the middle and add more as they draw them out and fill them. Eventually your old combs will be on the outside. Otherwise if you have lots, do à Bailey change... But not too early in the season.

I would be careful putting a frame of foundation in the middle of the brood straight away early spring ,
Wouldn't it be better to manipulate the brood area first to aid build up ,then when it gets warmer start to put fresh frames of foundation in and work the old frames to the outside just a thought.

 

[jeff33]

Yes agreed and that's why I started with: it depends on the cluster size. I usually don't mess around with my hives until the spring flow kicks in (no OSR here).

 

[Curly green fingers]

Yes agreed and that's why I started with: it depends on the cluster size. I usually don't mess around with my hives until the spring flow kicks in (no OSR here).

What are your thoughts on manipulating the brood frames to aid spring build up?

 

[Poly Hive]

Woo you have a talent for asking awkward questions.

I work my brood nests until the 2nd BB is active then I leave them too it.

I bruise the stores combs and they eat that up and then it gets laid up. This is in a systematic manner. Then (LOL) the nay sayers yell and say oh but you're putting sugar in the supers....

Funny how this works as well in 5 frame nucs. Think about it.

PH

 

[jeff33]

What are your thoughts on manipulating the brood frames to aid spring build up?

For me with no OSR there isn't much point (unless it's a weak hive to which I would add a frame of brood or combine) as it may entice them to start swarming preparation earlier in the season and bugger my main flow if they swarm. I also leave them the spring flow (hawthorn mostly) unless we get a really good season like last year. But don't forget that what works for me may not work for others with different aims.

 

[Curly green fingers]

For me with no OSR there isn't much point (unless it's a weak hive to which I would add a frame of brood or combine) as it may entice them to start swarming preparation earlier in the season and bugger my main flow if they swarm. I also leave them the spring flow (hawthorn mostly) unless we get a really good season like last year. But don't forget that what works for me may not work for others with different aims.

Cheers that's clarified a few things I'll have both home apairys will be thorn/sycamores and willow so no point really.out apairys osr field beans worth doing the manipulations.
Thanks Jeff for your replys.

 

[Curly green fingers]

Woo you have a talent for asking awkward questions.

I work my brood nests until the 2nd BB is active then I leave them too it.

I bruise the stores combs and they eat that up and then it gets laid up. This is in a systematic manner. Then (LOL) the nay sayers yell and say oh but you're putting sugar in the supers....

Funny how this works as well in 5 frame nucs. Think about it.

PH

You know me Pete , I plan to do it with my nucs 6 ( frame poly's ) the forage will be fruit trees .
Once there bursting with bee's I'm going to split them into 3 frame nucs I'll use two production hives to add brood if needs be ? Plan ? Maybe use syrup to ?

 

[Cuckmere couple]

Woo you have a talent for asking awkward questions.

I work my brood nests until the 2nd BB is active then I leave them too it.

I bruise the stores combs and they eat that up

PH

I think I’ll have a load of sealed honey in brood frames...is this best approach with these?

 

[jeff33]

I think you cannot generalise with beekeeping otherwise all the books would be right!! PH may have queens that can fill in a dble brood just for fun but you may not. Capped honey frames can be extracted or saved for when you prep your bees for winter or for newly made nucs.

 

[Poly Hive]

The only bees I have had that were unable to use a double National BB were Amm and many of them could.

Forget the BIBBA rubbish, most of them have never seen let alone worked Amm.

If they were unable to build up why were Glen hives built with 20+ frame brood boxes?

Uh huh....

PH

 

[jeff33]

Never heard of these before, you learn something new everyday. Why does anybody sells or use them though?

 

[Poly Hive]

They don't.

The plans were published in the Scottish Beekeeper and in the NOSCA publication, can't remember the name but it was circulated by the Aberdeen and District Assoc.

Invented by Dr Anderson the BB was up to you as to how many frames it took. Double walled like a WBC but very much substantially bigger.

I bought a couple from a chap at Dinnet on Royal Deeside and he was supplying Fortnums with heather honey.

PH

 

[Hivemaker.]

There is a bit about them on the Cushman site...

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/glenhive.html

Also a thread on the SBA forum.

Another oldie "Beekeeping" by Cumming & Logan has a good photo of one which I might scan in later and a glowing recommendation for the design,which includes the info that Dr John Anderson designed the hive for and I quote here
"the egg laying capacity of of the Italian Hybrid queens who took the place of the old British Black bees when the latter race was practically wiped out in the early years of this century" (The book was published 1950)

Dr Anderson was head of beekeeping at North of Scotland College Aberdeen when the hive was put on the market in 1918