Brood Boxes

[BMH]

Stan and I successfully Demareed our 14x12s for two years running
We kept the demarees rolling for two months
The trick is to have the colonies in pairs so you can just lift the top brood box off into the hive next door

So you demaree'd the 14 x 12 up into the supers? Then what took the 14 x 12's place?

If its another 14 x 12 then its not gonna work as I am not buying 200 of them

If its a brood box then I need to buy another 100 of them

 

[Erichalfbee]

Two 14x12s with two supers between.
Kept it rolling and ended up with three supers on top
Masses of honey!

You wouldn’t have to Demaree all of them.
I’ve given up doing it. Too much honey and too much varroa

 

[BMH]

Two 14x12s with two supers between.
Kept it rolling and ended up with three supers on top
Masses of honey!

You wouldn’t have to Demaree all of them.
I’ve given up doing it. Too much honey and too much varroa

Yeah i think I will stick with nationals deeps if I am going to do that.

Like I said, I am not buying 200 of them for 100 hives as we all know what happens when you do that!! eeeeeek

I have the problem that I dont want to increase any further and demaree is effective for that. Im also right in the middle of heather so demaree works really well around the end of July as the brood contracts down to a single brood box and then they back fill the top brood box with heather as there is a huge surplus of bees, just at the right time.

Thats the logic anyway.

Thanks for talking it through. Very helpful as always

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Too much honey

Huh?! Can always sell it bulk, or is the extraction not worth it?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Huh?! Can always sell it bulk, or is the extraction not worth it?

It’s a hobby
Last year I had over a ton of honey I sold 900lbs in bulk and 9 full-size colonies with a super on the following spring.
My life is much calmer now.

 

[Jonnyl]

Please excuse my ignorance but I have a rookie question on this topic. I have 14x12s and was thinking of doing demaree next season on them but recently I've got the impression that it doesn't suit my brood boxes. Am I imagining this or is it an issue. Thanks for your advice.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Please excuse my ignorance but I have a rookie question on this topic. I have 14x12s and was thinking of doing demaree next season on them but recently I've got the impression that it doesn't suit my brood boxes. Am I imagining this or is it an issue. Thanks for your advice.

The boxes are immaterial. 14x12s are heavy, that’s all. But you do need them bursting with bees on the cusp of swarm preps

 

[Jonnyl]

The boxes are immaterial. 14x12s are heavy, that’s all. But you do need them bursting with bees on the cusp of swarm preps

Thanks for the heads up. I've got horsley and snelgrove boards too and have to make up my mind which to use. I hope I don't fall between '3' stools. Cheers

 

[nantmoel]

Yes I was thinking I would keep a couple of national deeps for rearing queens in my nucs but glad to hear you transitioned and it went well.

what was your reasoning for making the switch?[/QUOTThe main reason was ease of use and the time of going through 22 frames.

 

[masterBK]

I run double brood nationals and rarely need to go through 22 frames. Most of the time you can find out all you need to know from 4 or 5 frames plus tipping the top box during swarm season. All queens marked and clipped. Does mean supersedure catchs you out occasionally. Shouldn't need to spend more than 2 or 3 minutes to check most hives. Time is taken when a problem needs sorting out.

 

[Poly Hive]

So easy and simple.... not said it for a while so....


KISS

It's taken me a lot of years to realise the simpler you work, the easier it is with bees. Lees interference = more production whether that be bees or honey.

PH

 

[BMH]

So easy and simple.... not said it for a while so....


KISS

It's taken me a lot of years to realise the simpler you work, the easier it is with bees. Lees interference = more production whether that be bees or honey.

PH

Exactly what i was trying to do. Simplify things.

Turns out sometimes simplifying things makes it more complex.

Ill stick the with the normal boxes. Now to search a deal!

 

[foghornleghorn]

Exactly what i was trying to do. Simplify things.

Turns out sometimes simplifying things makes it more complex.

Ill stick the with the normal boxes. Now to search a deal!

Look for itlds ad in the BFA journal

 

[ericbeaumont]

Anyway. Decision made. I am sticking to national brood.

Reckon that's a good decision. I ran 14x12s for several years (alongside National deeps) to see whether it saved time and was the solution for prolific queens; concluded that it was a blind alley. The 41% more space (as Ian mentioned, about brood-and-a-half) often wasn't enough, especially with Buckfast or BF strains, and any additional brood boxes meant 22 of two sizes of frames to go through, unless 14x12 doubles were used (no thanks).

I work for a commercial beekeeper who uses National deeps only: it's a manageable and flexible modular system, one that can be manipulated by a lone beekeeper. We use Buckfast or BF strains and cannot fit them into less than double brood for winter. Some of my own (selected local queens, lot of Buckfast in them) needed to be triple brooded this season. Conclusion: it's easier to change to queens that fill boxes, rather than change boxes to suit queens.

 

[Lancs Lad]

I use National deeps only, I have over 120 dummy boards so I can expand or contract brood or supers at will. Your cheapest dummy boards are made from polystyrene fish boxes 25mm thick just cut out with a hot knife and push inside a frame and paint with masonry paint, no glue needed. Your local fishmonger will thank you for taking them.

 

[BMH]

I use National deeps only, I have over 120 dummy boards so I can expand or contract brood or supers at will. Your cheapest dummy boards are made from polystyrene fish boxes 25mm thick just cut out with a hot knife and push inside a frame and paint with masonry paint, no glue needed. Your local fishmonger will thank you for taking them.

My plan was initially to move over to national deeps only but then I realised I had the opportunity now to move to 14 x 12. Its definitely best to stay put so I will now only work national deeps (and any supers I have left) but wont buy any more supers (or 14 x 12).

That's a great tip. I know a decent fishmongers so I will give them a shout next time im there.

cheers

 

[BMH]

Reckon that's a good decision. I ran 14x12s for several years (alongside National deeps) to see whether it saved time and was the solution for prolific queens; concluded that it was a blind alley. The 41% more space (as Ian mentioned, about brood-and-a-half) often wasn't enough, especially with Buckfast or BF strains, and any additional brood boxes meant 22 of two sizes of frames to go through, unless 14x12 doubles were used (no thanks).

I work for a commercial beekeeper who uses National deeps only: it's a manageable and flexible modular system, one that can be manipulated by a lone beekeeper. We use Buckfast or BF strains and cannot fit them into less than double brood for winter. Some of my own (selected local queens, lot of Buckfast in them) needed to be triple brooded this season. Conclusion: it's easier to change to queens that fill boxes, rather than change boxes to suit queens.

Yes I think its the right decision and hopefully my queen rearing efforts next year will give me a better chance of filling the doubles.

 

[Poly Hive]

What is a BF strain please? As in Buckfast or BF?

PH

 

[Erichalfbee]

How much does a deep full of honey weigh?
You’ll have to have Buckfast if you want to fill two deeps with brood too?

 

[BMH]

How much does a deep full of honey weigh?
You’ll have to have Buckfast if you want to fill two deeps with brood too?

I can handle the lifting and already use deeps for honey most of the time. Reckon its probably 25kg ish.

Yes. I'm all buckfast but some are much better than others.

Breeding from a Keld and Stoeffen pair of F0s breeding queens so hopefully they should fill the doubles nicely.