BB size advice please...

[MuswellMetro]

Hombre: To get a good crop you need to be able to keep the bees in the box. Basically with seven frames of brood in a 14x12 they decide that it's time to make swarm cells.
Now Hombre seems to suggest that it is too big a space for a queen to keep content. I'm not sure if MM is saying that they will or won't do better in 2nd and subsequent years in 14 x 12, or that there is no advantage. Could you elucidate, for the hard of thinking?

Cheers

Bees are Bees, yes larger box can mean less Queen pheromone and swarm cells but IMHO you are more likley to get that on brood and a hlaf becuase of split brood rather than in a 14x12 but to me lack of space is more of a problem with swarms

i have seen to Nucs with beginners this year from same source and date, one into a 14x12 and one into standard

the 14x12 is calm and at 31 august was on 7 frames of brood 4 stores,and only made 10lbs of honey in super

The standrad gave 25lbs in super of honey but were aggressive as no stores left once honey taken off, it was cramped, brace comb in the api eke, frames stuck together, bees building wild comb for larva between frames ,bees all over the sides and under roof, 10 frames of brood and one of stores ( one side of each of the outer frames) that hive will have to go to brood and a half next year

but take that with a pinch of salt, i only run 14x12 and my bees are italian crosses or carnie crosses not AMM crosses

 

[Hampton_Pete]

PM Tom Bick, he makes hives and i located in Housnslow next to west Bus Yard in spring Grove Road off the A4, i think his own hives are in feltham

i use 14x12, you will get less honey than a national in the first year but less likely to swarm in the second year and subsequent years

Thank you MM - I have indeed been in touch with TB via his neat website. Planning on paying a visit to his workshop in the near future. Very impressive build quality to his hives, I think I just might be making my purchases very soon!

Thank you for all of the posts to this thread. I am now armed with more knowledge and experience from you all, plus other material gleened from the www and the printed page. So I think my original question has been well addressed.

As hinted earlier, I am thinking I need to kick off a thread to gain insight into bee strain choice and nuc supplier advice, so standby your keyboards...


Thanks Pete.

 

[Hombre]

My single example was the shook swarm from a Standard National into 14x12 in early April, as other colonies had shown signs of building swarm cells. The colony filled three supers and swarmed in early July. In total this colony produced just over four supers of honey and three frames of stores from the brood box. My biggest single best colony, because it peaked at the right time. It was a 2009 Carniolan queen.

In 2011 I am going to try to super early and more frequently and in some cases will give them a second 14x12 box in a bid to keep down congestion as they expand exponentially, but I will also diversify by the introduction of Buckfast queens.