Converted to brood and a half

[Chris Tel]

Hi All,
On inspecting yesterday noticed that the BB of one of my hives was almost completely full so decided to convert the partially filled super above to give me a brood and half. However when changing the spacing of the super frames to brood spacing I noticed that in places adjacent combs are almost touching. Do I need to do anything and have I opened a can of worms by converting into a brood and half? I felt at the time by doing this I would give the queen more space to lay and also give them back their precious stores that I've been robbing (alleviating the need to start feeding them up for winter!)
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Chris

 

[For want of a better word]

Put the spacing back to as it was and put the super underneath the brood box untill next spring when the little ladies will have used up the stores
In spring build up if you have a prolific queen you can go for brood and a half putting the super on top of the brood box again, with standard spacing, or fit an eke to your brood box and invest in 12 x 14 frames or go for double brood box.
I tend towards double brood box as this means I do not have to invest in yet more frames and kit.
The midway step to brood and a half with a super, means you can go eventually to a double brood box by putting a queen excluder above the double boxes... with half on top, remember to check to let any hatching drones out no queen cells on it etc
I put the new brood box on top of the old, as the bees seem to use it for stores before the queen starts laying into it.

NO DOUBT others will be along to dissagree.. but then that seems ( for some ) to be the pleasure in beekeeping and this excellent forum !!


Good Luck

 

[oliver90owner]

NO DOUBT others will be along to dissagree..

Some simply have a different 'take' on it but let me disagree - a little.

I agree with the options and there may be others.

I only put honey below the broodnest if I want it moved upwards. Above the broodnest is the natural place bees store their honey - but you can put your super wherever you want - for me it would be above the nest.

I tend towards double brood box as this means I do not have to invest in yet more frames and kit.

I am thinking yo mean 'different' rather than 'more'. You might need different kit if going to 14 x12s, but you would surely need more kit if going to double brood (an extra box and a complement of frames).

Perhaps the OP might consider over-wintering on a single brood - Many do in that area. With six colonies listed I am wondering what the OP might have done in previos years.

RAB

 

[Chris Tel]

Hi Guys,
Thanks for the advice though as a newbie (my first season) I'm a little confused by it all and hence why I'm seeking advice and asking more questions. On reading around I gather at this time of year the colony begins to shrink/slow down. However in my case the queen is still going full pelt! Thus I thought I ought to give her more space and at the same time do something with the partially filled supers. Hence why I thought about creating the brood and a half! On top of that I've just started treating the hive with ApiLife Var.
So if I move the super to the bottom with 'super spacing' (if that's the terminology) would the queen lay there too?
If I leave it above the BB with no QE (as is) what should I do with the spacing on the basis that on some frames the comb is almost touching. Would the queen begin to lay there? And simply what would happen if I just left it as is?

P.S The wife won't be too keen about me buying any more kit either hence why I shied away from converting to 14x12 and double brood chambers etc.....

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

I'm assuming the problem lies because the bees have expanded the cells in the super to fill available space? As such (and I'm no expert) do you really need worry about lining up the frames anyway, suspect it wont bother the bees - after all some keep their brood and a half/double brood chambers at right angles.

In fact, thinking about it I had a brood and a half last winter with castillated in the super and therefore different amount of frames in each, and they survived quite happily.

 

[For want of a better word]

Whichever way you go methinks they would appreciate more space
!

 

[Beeline]

Must say I didn't know that for a brood and a half, one should align the super and brood frames. I've got 11 brood frames below on runners and 10 super frames above, on castellated strips, and she's had no issues at all.

Thinking about it now I suppose the alignment would simulate their natural (wild) environment but, as I say, no problems.

BL

 

[Hebeegeebee]

How many frames of brood do you have?
Have you used a varroa treatment yet? (Which might result in the queen ceasing laying for a while).

(I'm not keen on brood and a half but I understand your reasons - SWMBO).

If comb touches then bees will sort it out as they wish. Remember that there's 1 bee space between super frames when sealed and 2 between brood. Deeper drawn super frames will need to be 'cut-down' by the bees before the queen will lay in them.

 

[Chris Tel]

'How many frames of brood do you have? '
It's a standard National and off the top of my head brood across all but 3-4 frames ...I think. May be wishful thinking it's just I remember seeign masses of bees and sealed brood everywhere with the exception of the last frame or so at the perimeter of the chamber.

'Have you used a varroa treatment yet? (Which might result in the queen ceasing laying for a while).'

Started the Apilife Var the day I converted into the brood and half with the reagent above the standard BB. Good point though as I didn't realise that the Thymol might have an impact on HM.

With regards the spacing and extended comb I thought as much that 'bees know best'. I was thinking of going in there with a bread knife and taking the excess away but I'm sure they'll do a more delicate job than me.