demaree question

[E&MBees]

Finished making my demarree boards today as per JBM’s photo. Thanks. Roll on the spring!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

excellent....do you ever have supers above UBB?

entrance deliberately?

Yes, although I'm unsure what my reasoning was at the time, I think it was again so that not too much pheromone was pumped straight up into the middle of the top box

 

[Swarm]

More like the convenient location of porter escape holes in converted crown boards But they work equally well with the hole in the centre.
I'm trialling one I made out of correx this year

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

More like the convenient location of porter escape holes in converted crown boards

nope, all my boards (apart from the converted Snelgrove boards) were made from scratch using recycled 10mm plywood and the pointless battens from the inside of flatpack roofs ripped down to make the correct deptch rims.

 

[jeff33]

@jenkinsbrynmair I think you better start a patent on these boards!!

 

[Erichalfbee]

@jenkinsbrynmair I think you better start a patent on these boards!!

As long as he doesn’t say it’s his slant on them

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

@jenkinsbrynmair I think you better start a patent on these boards!!

If I didn't want to share the concept for the greater good I'd have put a patent on them before posting

 

[polymath]

That's very creative... why did you decide to do two BB's horizontally for your demaree when you could have done it vertically ? Did you find t worked better or were there advantages that you perceived ? I have a horizontal hive and they do create big colonies and I can see this arrangement of yours is very well stocked with bees if the entrance queues are anything to go by ..

This is from both American and other US articles i have found. The advantage is that two hives in effect produce workers for one super, but it is easy to manage to some extent as come July you do not need to worry about brood box inspections and you just keep adding supers. Easy to get to etc. If you google you will find the Aus stuff and a great american article on this system. I only have one set up like this, the rest i use vertical for.

 

[elainemary]

nope, all my boards (apart from the converted Snelgrove boards) were made from scratch using recycled 10mm plywood and the pointless battens from the inside of flatpack roofs ripped down to make the correct deptch rims.

Emyr, what depth of wood do you use to create the trim around the board / entrance pls?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Emyr, what depth of wood do you use to create the trim around the board / entrance pls?

About 10mm (it's not an exact science) on the top/entrance side unless you are on TBS, then you can give it another5-10mm

 

[Swarm]

Some 9 or 10mm stripwood is alright for TBS as well, it's what I use on mine. I've got some old converted Snelgrove boards that seem fine as they are with the little bee space doors, no rim underneath obviously.
I ran out of plywood during lockdown but I have quite a lot of correx so I made one entirely from correx sheets. It sort of looks OK but time will tell if it holds up or peels apart.

 

[elainemary]

About 10mm (it's not an exact science) on the top/entrance side unless you are on TBS, then you can give it another5-10mm

Thanks, I was thinking about converting a few spare wooden crownboards I have, now I've converted to glass / polycarb. Thought I could attach a thin strip around the edges leaving a section open for an entrance. Have a stack of Smith hive aluminium queen excluders I picked up cheaply, I could cut these down for over the crown board hole(s).

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Thanks, I was thinking about converting a few spare wooden crownboards I have, now I've converted to glass / polycarb. Thought I could attach a thin strip around the edges leaving a section open for an entrance. Have a stack of Smith hive aluminium queen excluders I picked up cheaply, I could cut these down for over the crown board hole(s).

sounds ideal

 

[Swarm]

Just goes to show how bored you can get. Far easier to pick up some cheap crown boards in the sales and convert them.

 

[BigAshW]

Only move empty frames back down to the lower Box, leave the capped frames up top until emerged

If there is no upper entrance, you will end up with an unmated virgin which could cause problems when you take down the Demarree - you will also end up with brood frames full of drone brood - something you definitely don't want.
An upper entrance avoids lot of problems and could leave you with a bonus colony - I've yet to see there being a problem running with two queens. Also, as you don't get many QC's at the best of times, the chances of them throwing a swarm out are slim.
Here's an example of a simple Demarree board for the top boxView attachment 24253View attachment 24254View attachment 24255

Hi JBM

Just have a quick query. Have read your stickied thread on this method and thought It was great. I was just wondering on the timing.

You said you look to do it when you get to 7-10 frames of bees. Is this after you've given extra space with supers, or do you super and demaree at the same time?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Hi JBM

Just have a quick query. Have read your stickied thread on this method and thought It was great. I was just wondering on the timing.

You said you look to do it when you get to 7-10 frames of bees. Is this after you've given extra space with supers, or do you super and demaree at the same time?

It's frames of brood not bees, usually you will have one super on by the time they are looking stuffed full and raring to go, and looking at putting a second on, although I have on occasion, especially with an older queen done the Demarree before a second super is needed. It's hard to convey some things over 'tinternet - you just have to get the feel for it being about time

 

[BigAshW]

It's frames of brood not bees, usually you will have one super on by the time they are looking stuffed full and raring to go, and looking at putting a second on, although I have on occasion, especially with an older queen done the Demarree before a second super is needed. It's hard to convey some things over 'tinternet - you just have to get the feel for it being about time

AHH ok brood not bees makes sense now.

 

[jeff33]

I run 14x12. It’s never happened to me but then I keep the Demaree rolling for varying lengths of time

Dani, do you demaree with 14x12? What do you do with the honey bound frames after, keep them for winter feed or your extractor takes them?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Dani, do you demaree with 14x12? What do you do with the honey bound frames after, keep them for winter feed or your extractor takes them?

Both. I like to have some food frames spare but also extract some and put the extracted frames in the freezer.

 

[jeff33]

Both. I like to have some food frames spare but also extract some and put the extracted frames in the freezer.

I will have to ask Ian if they do screens for the konigin to take 14x12. For the moment that's the only thing that has stopped me doing demaree on these hives.