Demaree in WBC hives

[Monbees]

If I was doing it I would put an entrance/exit in the crown board by taking a notch out of the upstand and remove the ventilator cone in the roof. They would quickly find their way out.

In a similar vein, l have just (yesterday) done a newspare unite in a wbc. The weak brood box sits on top of a qx and newspaper. I will, today or tomorrow, replace the solid crownboard with one with a hole to allow the drones to escape and make their way out between the bb sides and the lifts via the usual hive entrance. I don't think there will a need to remove the ventilator cone.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I’d advise against drilling the lifts. As well as spoiling the look with bullet holes, would look terrible & spoil an expensive piece of kit.

And we can't be having that can we? beekeeping is all about presentation!

 

[Erichalfbee]

So, just to be clear

Related question. In a Demaree, what is the function of the super(s) between the two BBs? What if one simply put the BB with brood above the QE and the Q+ BB below it?

Read this
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/demaree.46464/

 

[Beedogg]

OK, I think I'm getting it now. Thanks for the pics.

Just so I'm crystal clear, in the configuration you're suggesting @elainemary (ie, floor, BB, board, BB, supers, crown board) there actually aren't any supers between the two BBs, just your board. So the bees in the lower BB put their stores in the BB, I imagine? Or I guess I could put a super on the lower BB and then put the board above that (one lift further up)?

I'd love to see a pic of the board itself. Does it have a solid floor to create the separation or a mesh floor?

Maybe I'm over-complicating it, but since I haven't tried the Demaree yet (this is season 1) and since I have WBCs I'd like to work out how I might do it next year if the need arises.

 

[Beedogg]

Read this
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/demaree.46464/

I did read it (see my OP), found it very useful and from it I understood the principle of separating the queen from the brood as a swarm-prevention exercise. I wasn't quite clear, however, why that needed to be done with supers rather than a board (hence my question) since the sticky implied that one generally wants the top BB to still get a whiff of the queen in order not to be stimulated into building QCs (unless that's what you want them to do). And also I was curious as to how that could be done in practice with WBC hives (hence my other question).

As I mentioned, this is my first season and consequently I'm doing the normal 'plate spinning' and 'learning by my mistakes' in terms of keeping on top of three seemingly healthy hives (two arising from captured swarms and one from an artificial swarm I made earlier) but I'm also thinking ahead to next year when, insha'allah, they will be all be more established and I will have to be more proactive in terms of managing them.

 

[elainemary]

OK, I think I'm getting it now. Thanks for the pics.

Just so I'm crystal clear, in the configuration you're suggesting @elainemary (ie, floor, BB, board, BB, supers, crown board) there actually aren't any supers between the two BBs, just your board. So the bees in the lower BB put their stores in the BB, I imagine? Or I guess I could put a super on the lower BB and then put the board above that (one lift further up)?

I'd love to see a pic of the board itself. Does it have a solid floor to create the separation or a mesh floor?

Maybe I'm over-complicating it, but since I haven't tried the Demaree yet (this is season 1) and since I have WBCs I'd like to work out how I might do it next year if the need arises.

Think I’ve confused you by bringing up the idea of a Bailey comb change which the board can be used for too.

With the Demaree the board sits above the supers and beneath the second brood box and you don’t need an eke as the height of the inner boxes more or less matches the height of the outer lifts.

This is the board just resting on top of a lift. So essentially a square of pine with an entrance carved in the rim of it so they can fly in from the outside of the lift and an excluder attached to the underside. As the pine rim is deep enough it straddles both the lifts and the boxes above and below.

Bees come in via the entrance in the pine rim between lifts and straight into the brood box above. The excluder stops drones from getting into the supers below but can come in and out through the top entrance in the pine rim and allows worker bees to any part of the hive.

There may be other ways of cracking the problem such as drilling lifts and brood boxes and inserting hosepipes, but this is my solution and it works.

Hope this helps!
Elaine

 

[Beedogg]

Thanks. Well, I think I've constructed something similar which appears to fit neatly between two lifts. I've drilled a 10mm hole in the front which ought to be big enough to let the drones out. Now just looking for a chance to try it out....

 

[elainemary]

Thanks. Well, I think I've constructed something similar which appears to fit neatly between two lifts. I've drilled a 10mm hole in the front which ought to be big enough to let the drones out. Now just looking for a chance to try it out....View attachment 27732

Well done looks great, does it straddle the lifts too? Look to be on a brood box....but that might be the photo. If I were you I'd make the hole bigger , it's a bit tight and will only let one bee out at a time? They might even propolis it and close it???!!

 

[bingevader]

Between the boxes would be okay, wouldn't it? The bees could still get out.
If it was between lifts, then what do you do about the gaps?
My lifts aren't the same size as my boxes.

 

[elainemary]

Between the boxes would be okay, wouldn't it? The bees could still get out.
If it was between lifts, then what do you do about the gaps?
My lifts aren't the same size as my boxes.

Yep, just meant it sits between boxes but the lifts sit above it as well as below, so no gaps. You've got it sussed and it will work for you, that's the important thing

 

[Beedogg]

The photo is a little distorted and makes it look as if it's on a brood box. But in fact it's on a lift and it fits surprisingly neatly between two lifts. I've also made a bigger hole as suggested. So now, I just need to try it out when I get the chance.

 

[Beescenter]

enough

Sorry Beedogg I’m not able to see the picture could you try again please

 

[Erichalfbee]

Sorry Beedogg I’m not able to see the picture could you try again please

 

[Beescenter]

Thank you

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

View attachment 27821

That's giving a heck of a lot of space under the frames

 

[Erichalfbee]

That's giving a heck of a lot of space under the frames

Yes...does look like it. If I was going to Demaree a WBC I'd just take the lifts off. Surely the bees could live in a thinner hive till you took the top box away?

 

[elainemary]

Mine didn’t build wild comb underneath. I like to put a frame of foundation into the top box of a Demaree and they build that well instead. Like the double wall insulation especially in cooler night conditions which we often have in spring when setting up Demarees, or if your hives are at altitude / windy conditions

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If I was going to Demaree a WBC I'd just take the lifts off.

If I was going to Demarree a WBC I'd just follow Demarree's instructions - and not use a top entrance
In fact, if I had a WBC, I'd have rhubarb not bees in it

 

[Erichalfbee]

If I was going to Demarree a WBC I'd just follow Demarree's instructions - and not use a top entrance
In fact, if I had a WBC, I'd have rhubarb not bees in it

An old dolly tub worked really well for my rhubarb this year.
I have a WBC in the drive as an ornament. Stan has screwed the lifts together at the back. This morning I found a parcel inside that’s been missing for a month. I kicked up a fuss about it and got a refund. Heaven knows it must have taken some strength to prize the lifts apart! I’ll have to put a Bees at Work sign on it

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I have a WBC in the drive as an ornament. Stan has screwed the lifts together at the back. This morning I found a parcel inside that’s been missing for a month. I kicked up a fuss about it and got a refund. Heaven knows it must have taken some strength to prize the lifts apart! I’ll have to put a Bees at Work sign on it

Aren't couriers great? a little while ago we were both out for the day and SWMBO was expecting a parcel, we left a note telling them to leave in the shed around the back with the brown door . They walked straight past three brown shed doors, totally ignored SWMBO's office shed at the other side of the house them walked right up to the top of the garden and left the parcel in the greenhouse!!