Bailey comb change??

[Loubylou]

Can anyone please tell me or point me in the direction to find out more about the Bailey comb change. I would like to know what it is, when to do it and why.

I am wondering whether this is the correct procedure to perform on couple of hives that i have inherited. They are really in a bad state inside the bb, spacing all wrong, brace comb everywhere and years of detritus within. I thought it would be a good chance to spring clean and change to hoffman spacing at the same time. Is it a method of swarm control too? I read somewhere that it was like the Demaree but a reverse version.

 

[NickB]

Are they a strong-looking colony?
It might be a good idea to perform a Shook Swarm
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&...5NnzCV&sig=AHIEtbR4VNo9-wZ8KcwKspOFy1NS3M5voA
if they are.
This will get rid of all the detritus,as well as giving you a brood-break which would help in holding the varroa back.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Can anyone please tell me or point me in the direction to find out more about the Bailey comb change. I would like to know what it is, when to do it and why.

FERA/Beebase leaflet https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/downloadDocument.cfm?id=170

Dave Cushman http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/baileychange.html

 

[oliver90owner]

Any good modernish beekeeping book, 'Goggle' it, search facility on this forum, as well as the links above.

 

[peterbees]

Have a look at http://tinyurl.com/d88rvwo which gives my step by step account of changing a hive onto new combs.

 

[masterBK]

After a long winter where the queens stopped laying earlier than usual and started up later than usual I think they have had a long enough brood break without extending it with a shook swarm. So I would normally recommend Bailey as the best way to go. However if they have been neglected then one can assume there has been little/ no Varroa control. Therefore priority is to get the Varroa numbers down so if the colony is strong then perhaps a Shook swarm might be a good idea with Oxalic acid trickle treatment to follow (before they get the new batch of brood sealed).

Perhaps the decider will be to first check Varroa numbers by takng a sample of about 300 workers in a jar and sprinkle in some icing sugar, put lid on and shake jar so that bees get properly covered and then shake out the bees into a sieve so that the sugar and mites drop onto a white sheet of paper and then count the mites. Bees will be unharmed and fly back to the hive

(Estimated bees in hive divided by bees in sample) x mites counted x brood multiplier = mites in colony

(Since only 15% of mites on the bees and rest in brood then brood multiplier = 6)

Having done the calculation and find the answer is above a thousand then you need to get the Varroa numbers down pretty soon

 

[Sandbee79]

Its a bit early to do a Bailey comb change or a shook swarm. For health I would look thro em to see how strong they are you might consider treating for Varroa at this time not with Oxalic but with a thymol type treatment. Is the queen laying and how much brood is there. Towards the end of April I would think a shook swarm more the thing.Get rid of as much of the old frames as poss change the brood box for a clean one and put your bees on new foundation If you havn't got drawn frames. Feed sugar syrup or ambrosia. Then treat with Oxalic.

 

[oliver90owner]

An alternative to MBK would be to look for young workers with deformed wings -if several are found, you can be fairly sure they need a varroa treatment PDQ.

 

[Finman]

Its a bit early to do a Bailey comb change or a shook swarm. For health I would look thro em to see how strong they are you might consider treating for Varroa at this time not with Oxalic but with a thymol type treatment. Is the queen laying and how much brood is there. Towards the end of April I would think a shook swarm more the thing.Get rid of as much of the old frames as poss change the brood box for a clean one and put your bees on new foundation If you havn't got drawn frames. Feed sugar syrup or ambrosia. Then treat with Oxalic.

That is speak of sense. Arrange a little bit the old hives and let the colony build up.

After this miserable spring bees do not stand it that you destroy the brood and bees will be destroyed because they are old.

Then when boxes start to burst out, put the aimed boxes under the old hive and let the colony expand to the new hive. When you meet a queen, put it under the excluder. Gradually bees emerge in old frames and bees fill them with honey. Extract the honey, and take old stuff away.

Thymol treatment is good this time of year. Treatment every week 3 times.

.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Thymol treatment is good this time of year. Treatment every week 3 times.

The thymol treatment is good, but some queens would be put off laying, which may not be so good at this time of year, in this particular spring weather.

 

[Finman]

The thymol treatment is good, but some queens would be put off laying, which may not be so good at this time of year, in this particular spring weather.

That is true. But what to do with mites because colony has not got any treatment? Propably the hives have quite load of mites.

 

[Loubylou]

Thank you all for the very helpful and kind advice. In my opinion (and going by how many frames of brood other forum members have stated they have right now) my 2 inherited colonies aren't that strong. Only 3/4 frames of bias so far and also forgot to mention the previous owner said the Q's were a couple of years old already. So I think this is what I shall do...

Firstly take samples and check for varroa and wing deformity. Then I will do the Bailey comb change and when done pop a rapid feeder on top of the new brood box. If necessary treat for varroa with Thymol.

I hope I have got this right, this is my first year and the old confidence is lacking. But you guys have helped in this department for sure!

 

[herefordshirehoney]

Also worth noting if you're worried about varroa the new treatment MAQS should be available any time now from the major supplies and is not supposed to taint honey. Im certainly going to think about this in August over thymol long and hard this year even know thymol was very successful for me.