Brood and a half or not??

[beesleybees]

Hi guys,

Have a national brood box that is wall to wall with capped brood.

Do you think it's a bit late to add a super and go brood and a half??

 

[weatherman1200]

Add the super take the honey

 

[protheroe]

if they need the space then give it.

 

[oliver90owner]

Both at the same time? Are these drawn comb or plain foundation? Or a mixture of the two?

I somehow expect there is exaggeration re the 'wall to wall capped brood' or has she gone off-lay for the past ten days or more? Another queen laying umpteen thousand eggs per day a la beano comic?

A realistic post might be a more acceptable reason to give a sensible response.

 

[beesleybees]

Both at the same time? Are these drawn comb or plain foundation? Or a mixture of the two?

I somehow expect there is exaggeration re the 'wall to wall capped brood' or has she gone off-lay for the past ten days or more? Another queen laying umpteen thousand eggs per day a la beano comic?

A realistic post might be a more acceptable reason to give a sensible response.

So touchy lol

This is a hive that I united 2 queen right nucs together (obviously removing 1 queen)

So it is wall to wall with brood apart from the stores frame at either end of brood box

 

[itma]

Give then a super - quickly!

And put another shallow under the brood (but with hoffman frames, on rails), so they can expand the brood nest if they so choose.
However, having united the efforts of 2 Qs, the brood nest should shrink with only 1 Q producing. (But because you have a lot of bees arriving for duty in the next few weeks, you need to give them plenty more hive volume to avoid over-congestion.)

I'm a very long way from being an advocate of brood and a half.
I use 14x12 (giving the same comb area as brood and a half, without the hassles).
ff single national is not enough for your Q, either 14x12 or the flexible (if intimidating) double brood is a better bet than going half way.
But sometimes, needs must.

 

[enrico]

Give then a super - quickly!

And put another shallow under the brood (but with hoffman frames, on rails), so they can expand the brood nest
.

Just interested ad to why Hoffman frames seem so important!
E

 

[itma]

Just interested ad to why Hoffman frames seem so important!
E

Because, if its a brood box, it wants brood-frame-spacing and simplified non-bee-rolling inspection.
Which most folks get in their brood boxes from hoffman spacing on rails.

Mind you, if you were one of the heretics that have castellations in your original brood box, then hey, treat the little box just the same. But don't come crying to me.

 

[Dishmop]

So it is wall to wall with brood apart from the stores frame at either end of brood box

Do the bees understand that those end frames are for stores only?

If you put a super on the queen will lay eggs there if there is a shortge of space in the lower box, and the workers will put honey in them as well.

 

[Pete D]

Hi guys,

Have a national brood box that is wall to wall with capped brood.

Do you think it's a bit late to add a super and go brood and a half??

No not too late.
Is it brood space you want or space for the bees or somewhere to put honey.
Personally I would assess the local forage and if there is plenty still to come put the super on and then add a QE after about a week and leave the queen downstairs once the bees are starting to draw the comb. She will be slowing her laying rate soon.
If nothing else you will get a few drawn frames for next season and you could put it under the brood for the winter if they put some stores in it.
Need to consider varroa treatment and it's application soon.

 

[oliver90owner]

This is a hive that I united 2 queen right nucs together

Pointless asking questions such as this until the colony is in equilibrium. When that brood emerges, there will be so many more bees but the one queen will be laying much fewer brood. A simple case of not describing the actual situation and expecting sensible responses. It does not happen.

They will need more space, but not necessarily brooding space. Wall to wall capped brood should be telling you there is no equivalent areas of open brood. 4:2:1 is the rough ratio of capped to larvae to eggs. You cannot have just the one of those, unless you are a comic.