Checkerboarding

[Boston Bees]

I have no link to this group, but it's a different approach (which I haven't tried), and the videos aren't too long, so I thought I would put them here for your viewing pleasure. I can see some issues, and I am not personally going to add this much space above a brood nest in December, but who knows!

Swarm Control Using Checkerboarding - Theory - YouTube

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Checkerboarding beehives - The First Manipulation - YouTube

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Pre-Checkerboarding Apiary Visit - YouTube

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[Poly Hive]

Seems to be the latest and greatest fad along with concrete hives.

PH

 

[La Folie]

Well that was an interesting talk, it certainly makes you think but also leaves a few questions. Perhaps the lesson to learn is that just because we have always done something one way doesn't make it right.

 

[The Poot]

Hefting may be an issue with double brood, two supers, plus super with wood chips....?
My concern would be providing enough food for an extended Winter and managing a tall stack.

 

[user 819]

It became a fad over here 3 years ago or so when where else then the BBKA News had it in one issue, I seem to remember there was a thread on here.

 

[Nannysbees]

Seems to be the latest and greatest fad along with concrete hives.

PH

I know i saw a concrete hive on black mountain honey, not for me!!!!

 

[JamezF]

concrete hives.

Do they come with an OMF made out of rebar?

James

 

[pargyle]

I have no link to this group, but it's a different approach (which I haven't tried), and the videos aren't too long, so I thought I would put them here for your viewing pleasure. I can see some issues, and I am not personally going to add this much space above a brood nest in December, but who knows!

Swarm Control Using Checkerboarding - Theory - YouTube

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Checkerboarding beehives - The First Manipulation - YouTube

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>


Pre-Checkerboarding Apiary Visit - YouTube

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

So much I disagree with here I can't really be bothered to waste my time with it:

a) In December ... giving all that extra space - two supers with half and half stores and foundation ?

b) IIndeed just messing about with them mid-winter is madness.

c) Going into winter with a queen excluder between the brood box and a super of stores ? Asking for problems if they run out of stores in the brood box and won''t leave the queen behind - or DO leave the queen behind.

d) Condensation ? Celotex on top of a super of woodchips ... better off with a super of celotex on top of a crown board then there would be no condensation.

What is all this fiddling going to achieve that can't be achieved with less disturbance, more chance of success and less risk once the season starts.

I'm sure there's other things but I lost the will to live listening to this drivel ...

 

[Boston Bees]

So much I disagree with here I can't really be bothered to waste my time with it:

a) In December ... giving all that extra space - two supers with half and half stores and foundation ?

b) IIndeed just messing about with them mid-winter is madness.

c) Going into winter with a queen excluder between the brood box and a super of stores ? Asking for problems if they run out of stores in the brood box and won''t leave the queen behind - or DO leave the queen behind.

d) Condensation ? Celotex on top of a super of woodchips ... better off with a super of celotex on top of a crown board then there would be no condensation.

What is all this fiddling going to achieve that can't be achieved with less disturbance, more chance of success and less risk once the season starts.

I'm sure there's other things but I lost the will to live listening to this drivel ...

One minor correction. From what I can see, the recommendation is to checkerboard stores and drawn comb, not foundation.

 

[pargyle]

One minor correction. From what I can see, the recommendation is to checkerboard stores and drawn comb, not foundation.

Yes... you are right .. I was watching the video wthout the sound and it looked he was putting foundation in - I stand corrected. Noticed that they also have gaping holes in the crownboard just covered in mesh ... presumably to let all the heat out ! I was expecting matchsticke !

 

[Michael Palmer]

I know a bit about checkerboarding. I spoke to the inventor of the method, Walt Wright. He sent me a copy of his thesis, which I managed to plow through. Mostly. I have difficulty reading works I can only disagree with. He begins by saying that no scientist or professional beekeeper has ever got swarm control right. Only Walt figured it out. He claimed that once colonies had checkerboarded supers above, he never had a swarm. 100% effective. He went on to say that he never cracked apart the double broods to check for swarm preparations. He told me that doing so broke apart the supercedure cells that lined the bottom bars. Supercedure cells?? I asked him why adding a super of drawn comb under the first super wouldn't result in the same thing. I tried to say to him that, in the spring, we don't have a super of honey on top...left over from the autumn. If we did, it would be because we left the hive too heavy.
When he couldn't convince his work was some kind of miracle cure...he hung the phone up on me. From then on, we had some interesting debates on the old BeeSource site.

 

[Dodge]

Yes... you are right .. I was watching the video wthout the sound and it looked he was putting foundation in - I stand corrected. Noticed that they also have gaping holes in the crownboard just covered in mesh ... presumably to let all the heat out ! I was expecting matchsticke !

Think the mesh is to stop bees that have adequate ot through the porter bee / warm air escape tbh.

 

[Dodge]

Cringed a bit when the beek opened the hive in December to checkerboard, the cracking sound is the propolis airtight seal the bees made. I immagine at that time of the winter they probably won't be able to properly reseal as the propolis will be rock hard. Be like suddenly leaving all the windows in your home on the latch for the rest of the winter I immagine.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I know a bit about checkerboarding. I spoke to the inventor of the method, Walt Wright. He sent me a copy of his thesis, which I managed to plow through. Mostly. I have difficulty reading works I can only disagree with. He begins by saying that no scientist or professional beekeeper has ever got swarm control right. Only Walt figured it out. He claimed that once colonies had checkerboarded supers above, he never had a swarm. 100% effective. He went on to say that he never cracked apart the double broods to check for swarm preparations. He told me that doing so broke apart the supercedure cells that lined the bottom bars. Supercedure cells?? I asked him why adding a super of drawn comb under the first super wouldn't result in the same thing. I tried to say to him that, in the spring, we don't have a super of honey on top...left over from the autumn. If we did, it would be because we left the hive too heavy.
When he couldn't convince his work was some kind of miracle cure...he hung the phone up on me. From then on, we had some interesting debates on the old BeeSource site.

No need for all that. There was a chap here that claimed the same by putting 4 supers on every colony in early March and not looking in till the top one was full of bees. Never lost a swarm.

 

[pargyle]

Mostly. I have difficulty reading works I can only disagree with.

Funny that .. I have the same problem to some extent ..once I realise that, in my opinion, what is being spouted is total ******* (you can fill in the blanks), I lose interest and concentration. It becomes an exercise in seeing if the words get any worse ... (fascination of repulsion ?) rather than a pleasure - which I generally find when it's something of interest, a new perspective on something that I accept, or even a perspective on something I haven't considered.

Having forced myself through the first video to see if there was anything that made any sense ... I lost the will to go further !

I sometimes wonder where people get their ideas from and whether they actually think of things from the perspective of what the bees will make of their big idea .....

 

[Boston Bees]

So, isn't anyone going to buy the book? A snip at £9.95?

 

[Poly Hive]

I believe someone on here has and is going to try it. Ho hum...

BTW thre was a concrete hive at Craibstone, round the back of the workshop gathering moss as it was "invented" in the 1950s and not a colony survived it. I was told they died from nosema and accarine. I can well believe the nosema due to the stress but when I mentioned this to a person who has just bought one, I was poo pooed....LOL There's aye a one as they say in Aberdeenshire in the Doric.

PH

 

[Erichalfbee]

I believe someone on here has and is going to try it. Ho hum...

BTW thre was a concrete hive at Craibstone, round the back of the workshop gathering moss as it was "invented" in the 1950s and not a colony survived it. I was told they died from nosema and accarine. I can well believe the nosema due to the stress but when I mentioned this to a person who has just bought one, I was poo pooed....LOL There's aye a one as they say in Aberdeenshire in the Doric.

PH

Can you get insulated concrete? Like those lightweight breeze blocks? Isn’t that what would be used nowadays?

 

[pargyle]

Can you get insulated concrete? Like those lightweight breeze blocks? Isn’t that what would be used nowadays?

https://www.thezesthive.com/
They are very lightweight but thermally very efficient ... better insulation than the equivalent Kingspan thickness. I can't see any reason to go to concrete when these lightweight thermal blocks are just the business. I'm going to build one at some point - not enough space at present.

 

[Michael Palmer]

So, isn't anyone going to buy the book? A snip at £9.95?

Is there a book by Walt Wright on his checkerboarding? I know he asked Larry Connor from WicWas Press to publish the manuscript. Larry said he’d have to read it before making a decision. Walt wouldn’t give it to Larry until he agreed to publish it. Rather odd demand