Dadant to Langstroth

[Frenchie]

Have been given a colony of bees in a Dadant hive. Hive is in very poor condition and the floor is fixed to the brood box. I want to move the bees into one of my empty hives, but as I use Langstroth the frames won't fit. Any ideas on the best way to do this,thanks.

 

[B+.]

Any ideas on the best way to do this,thanks.

If you have a box of comb/foundation, put it ontop when it warms up. They will move up onto it as the colony expands. The footprint will be slightly different so you may need to make a whole in the crown board.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Get a piece of plywood the size of the Dadant - cut a hole in it the dimensions of the Lanstroth box - put that on top of your existing hive then put the new Lanstroth box with frames and foundation on top - wait for the bees to draw comb in the top box, then find the queen and put her in the top box with a queen excluder underneath, wait for all the brood to emerge in the bottom box to emerge then remove.
If you want, you can also fashion a shallow eke for the top box to give you a temporary top entrance whilst you sort the whole thing out.

 

[WoodenBeam]

Shook swarm into a new box when the weather warms up then feed feed feed. This would be the simplistic approach. Worth checking the brood, again when it warms up, just to ensure all is ok before doing anything.

 

[madasafish]

Get a piece of plywood the size of the Dadant - cut a hole in it the dimensions of the Lanstroth box - put that on top of your existing hive then put the new Lanstroth box with frames and foundation on top - wait for the bees to draw comb in the top box, then find the queen and put her in the top box with a queen excluder underneath, wait for all the brood to emerge in the bottom box to emerge then remove.
If you want, you can also fashion a shallow eke for the top box to give you a temporary top entrance whilst you sort the whole thing out.

+1

Did that with National > Lang.
Worked a treat...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

better than stressing a colony with a shook swarm and loosing all that valuable brood.

 

[Frenchie]

Thanks for replies,especially jenkinsbrynmair. Template made and langstroth box in place. Bees not disturbed and will hopefully move up.

 

[Hivemaker.]

February, very cold weather, large vain space on top, not good.

 

[drex]

I am facing a similar situation, having used the board method before, but will not set it up until about May.

 

[Frenchie]

Tad warmer here in France, have added extra insulation. Needs to be done early as bees are already busy,out foraging most days.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Thanks for replies,especially jenkinsbrynmair. Template made and langstroth box in place. Bees not disturbed and will hopefully move up.

I would hang fire for a while, wait until it's properly spring and the colony keen to build up.

 

[drex]

Did not notice your location. Mine are busy foraging on the warmer days, but the colony numbers are still small. I have mini ekes on top of most of my hives containing fondant, and none of them have fresh comb built in them yet, including the nucs, some of which are full of bees. I will give them more space when they tell me they want it.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Tad warmer here in France, have added extra insulation. Needs to be done early as bees are already busy,out foraging most days.

Does not look to be that warm there, according to the weather maps with temps down to -5c -6c -7c much warmer here.

 

[Frenchie]

Lowest temp here has been -2, and daytime temps into double figures. Bees are out everyday en mass in the heather,hellebores and snowdrops.

 

[SDM]

Lowest temp here has been -2, and daytime temps into double figures. Bees are out everyday en mass in the heather,hellebores and snowdrops.

The cold spell hasn't arrived yet.
Any reason not to put them straight onto the new floors and boxes with the existing ones on top. It gets rid of the cold void above them and let's the expand down as they would naturally.
With the bonus that when you swap out you've got a ready made honey ceiling to put your supers over.
I'm not suggesting it now with the forecast ahead, but as a means to do it early there's merit surely.