Demaree by shaking

[MrMouse]

Hi folks,

I’ve got a thriving double brood colony that I’d like to demaree over the next few weeks.
I can’t, however, find the unmarked queen (marking must have come off).
Is there any reason why I can’t just shake all of the bees from the two brood boxes into a box of fresh foundation with 1 frame of brood, as per a Demaree rather than finding the queen and transferring her down?
I assume the issue is that it then leaves the brood devoid of nurse bees until they’ve gone back upstairs. Do let me know your thoughts.
Thanks

 

[JamezF]

That's pretty much the way I did it last year. Young bees were back up to the brood like rats up a drainpipe.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hi folks,

I’ve got a thriving double brood colony that I’d like to demaree over the next few weeks.
I can’t, however, find the unmarked queen (marking must have come off).
Is there any reason why I can’t just shake all of the bees from the two brood boxes into a box of fresh foundation with 1 frame of brood, as per a Demaree rather than finding the queen and transferring her down?
I assume the issue is that it then leaves the brood devoid of nurse bees until they’ve gone back upstairs. Do let me know your thoughts.
Thanks

Put as much drawn comb in the bottom box as you can spare.

 

[Sutty]

What's the betting you spot the queen in the process!
Have a COT and a marking pen handy

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Is there any reason why I can’t just shake all of the bees from the two brood boxes into a box of fresh foundation with 1 frame of brood, as per a Demaree rather than finding the queen and transferring her down?

no reason at all not to. You don't need a frame of brood down there, I never do when shaking them down, but a few frames of drawn comb in with the queen would be handy

 

[MrMouse]

Thanks all, this is reassuring as my queen finding skills need some work.
Sadly I don’t have any drawn comb to spare. We’ll see how we get on.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Sadly I don’t have any drawn comb to spare. We’ll see how we get on.

in that case, just keep the emptiest frame or two from the brood box to leave with the queen.
Many people just leaves the queen on a box full of foundation to really trigger the fliers into comb building.