Brood and a half

[Etton]

If moving to brood and a half on Nationals then which is best the half above or below the main BB?

 

[oliver90owner]

Common sense says the shallow is lighter.

 

[enrico]

Brood on top and don't bother checking the shallow every time!!!! That's what I do! Any queen cells USUALLY are between brood and super in this scenario. That's two answers that are different. I don't think there are any other possibilities

 

[Poly Hive]

There is.

Don't do it.

If your colony is strong enough to need B and a half try them on double B. Then it gets.... err.... simpler. And a stronger colony and manipulations are easier.

KISS

PH

 

[Finman]

.
I do not mind, what is the order in brood and half. However I swap the order in early summer, that combs will be consumed evenly.

.
If you have last summer pollen stores in frames, give the frames to top box, and bees eate pollen away.
If you put them in lowest box, bees store more pollen into them.

 

[thorn]

And then there’s 14x12 to consider, though that’ll need a biter time, to get them settled on the larger frames.

 

[drex]

I am with PH. Tried brood and half for couple of years. An abomination in my experience. I run mainly double brood nationals. So much simpler and my bees generally make use of that room. I do not take honey out of brood box for harvest, so have not fed pre winter for some time. In summer I try to ensure the brood nest is right at the top, against the excluder. Might swap boxes round to achieve this. Also helps swarm prevention. Come Autumn, the brood nest will move down, when there are no supers above the excluder for them to put their honey in. Much simpler management. But each to his own

 

[Millet]

I have one on brood + half at the minute through a little mistake of my own and i am not too keen on it, when the weather takes a turn for the better they will get another brood box and the super will be going above the Q excluder, i believe if you keep the brood in the same size boxes it is more practical for swapping stores/brood and eggs around your colonies also for swarm control and making Nucs if the need arises.

 

[leonotron]

I prefer double brood as well after doing brood and a half for a bit.
I found single BB wasn't large enough on it's own and they wanted to swarm as a result.

 

[john t]

I have one on brood + half at the minute through a little mistake of my own and i am not too keen on it, when the weather takes a turn for the better they will get another brood box and the super will be going above the Q excluder, i believe if you keep the brood in the same size boxes it is more practical for swapping stores/brood and eggs around your colonies also for swarm control and making Nucs if the need arises.

totally agree 2 x brood is very flexible, brood = half is a muddle but it may suite some, i guess it depends if you have the spare equipment needed

 

[Swarm]

Easier again would be one size frames and no excluder, management is simple and frames can go wherever you want them.

 

[deemann1]

Easier again would be one size frames and no excluder, management is simple and frames can go wherever you want them.

Like the rose hive with bs boxes?

 

[Newbeeneil]

I'm tempted to try a Rose hive with BS supers....
Anyone tried it?

 

[Millet]

misread post Whoops.. edited

 

[Beefriendly]

I'm tempted to try a Rose hive with BS supers....
Anyone tried it?

You might be better running all Dadant shallows. Lots of honey but loads more work moving frames around.

 

[Finman]

You might be better running all Dadant shallows. Lots of honey but loads more work moving frames around.

And who keep bees as "moving frames around".

Langstroths with mediums is a world wide good system.

10 kg honey per hive. From where the "work" comes?

 

[Finman]

.
Rose hive? You take excluder off, and then you have Rose hive.... Nonsense!
.

 

[Madge]

I'm tempted to try a Rose hive with BS supers....
Anyone tried it?

Why? I can't see the point of doing that.

The Rose hive box is designed to be midway between a deep and a shallow so that you can use it as a one-box system that is lighter than using BS broods as a one-box system. If you want to use shallows, then use it with an ordinary BS brood box.

 

[Finman]

.
I have kept bees without excluder and nothing rose in it. It is much more laborous than with excluder.

That teach the normal instincts to form the brood nest and honey and pollen storing. Many beekeepers want that bees live according their orders.

Many professionals here keep the hives without excluder to the beginning of main yield, and then thet reduce laying into one langstroth with excluder.

 

[DanBee]

There is.

Don't do it.

If your colony is strong enough to need B and a half try them on double B. Then it gets.... err.... simpler. And a stronger colony and manipulations are easier.

KISS

PH

Well said!

See below: