After a frame change....

[Poly Hive]

Peggy Logan said that? Hmm must have another look

PH

 

[For want of a better word]

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

I work Amm ( (DNA tested 95% +)
Agree they seem to not want to go into double brood... but when forage is good will go brood + 1/2... I also use Rose system and most will go 2 boxes of these.

I think forage is a factor... before I moved my NZ Italians out of my (relatively) isolated valley... they would only go single brood and did not produce anything like the amount of honey per colony I get from the Amm

Aml and similar stripies now moved to a different area that has a lot of rape early in the season... occasionally will go double BB... but do satisfy our customers requirements for soft set honey and cut comb ( and a few sections... later in the season).

Did see some long "coffin" hives up on Dartmoor that were on 20 frames ( std Nat) with thriving dark bees... owner told me she and her father had always kept black bees there, she was in her 80s ... told me that farther once had some "Abbey bees" but they dwindled away .

as for.... Forget the BIBBA rubbish, most of them have never seen let alone worked Amm......seemingly a popular passtime on this forum.... could also be re written as:
...........Forget the BBKA rubbish, most of them have never seen let alone worked bees!.

 

[Eyeman]

I work Amm ( (DNA tested 95% +)
Agree they seem to not want to go into double brood... but when forage is good will go brood + 1/2... I also use Rose system and most will go 2 boxes of these.

I think forage is a factor... before I moved my NZ Italians out of my (relatively) isolated valley... they would only go single brood and did not produce anything like the amount of honey per colony I get from the Amm

Aml and similar stripies now moved to a different area that has a lot of rape early in the season... occasionally will go double BB... but do satisfy our customers requirements for soft set honey and cut comb ( and a few sections... later in the season).

Did see some long "coffin" hives up on Dartmoor that were on 20 frames ( std Nat) with thriving dark bees... owner told me she and her father had always kept black bees there, she was in her 80s ... told me that farther once had some "Abbey bees" but they dwindled away .

as for.... Forget the BIBBA rubbish, most of them have never seen let alone worked Amm......seemingly a popular passtime on this forum.... could also be re written as:
...........Forget the BBKA rubbish, most of them have never seen let alone worked bees!.

Bit of an unfair generalisation tarring all with the same brush!

 

[Eyeman]

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.

The Major spring nectar flowers of Field maple, wild cherry, sycamore, hawthorn provide my spring flow. I aim to get at least 2 supers of honey off before the hawthorn is over. Then the early summer bramble, privet and lime kick in for another couple of supers. After that I've usually got all the honey I can deal with for the season so my practice is to use my production hives for queen rearing and then nuc production. If I kept going then the willow herb and balsam would give another 3-4 supers. Average yield when I was 'all out for honey' was 150lbs per season. Now I like to spend half of my time enjoying the pleasures of queen rearing and nuc production.

 

[Swarm]

I work Amm ( (DNA tested 95% +)
Agree they seem to not want to go into double brood... but when forage is good will go brood + 1/2... I also use Rose system and most will go 2 boxes of these.

I think forage is a factor... before I moved my NZ Italians out of my (relatively) isolated valley... they would only go single brood and did not produce anything like the amount of honey per colony I get from the Amm

Aml and similar stripies now moved to a different area that has a lot of rape early in the season... occasionally will go double BB... but do satisfy our customers requirements for soft set honey and cut comb ( and a few sections... later in the season).

Did see some long "coffin" hives up on Dartmoor that were on 20 frames ( std Nat) with thriving dark bees... owner told me she and her father had always kept black bees there, she was in her 80s ... told me that farther once had some "Abbey bees" but they dwindled away .

as for.... Forget the BIBBA rubbish, most of them have never seen let alone worked Amm......seemingly a popular passtime on this forum.... could also be re written as:
...........Forget the BBKA rubbish, most of them have never seen let alone worked bees!.

Mine are in double brood, a single is not big enough. They were on nine combs of brood in April last year and that was after the very cold March. At height of season I had one colony with eighteen 'brooded combs' (not necessarily full) but I use fat dummy frames and provide the space they require. It may be ten over ten, ten over eight, even eight over eight. I prefer this method than a brood and half or 14x12 set up.
I do have a couple who are happy with a single national, though.