Demaree update

[Erichalfbee]

Both my Demarees have inspection trays in. If I do another they are going on a solid floor

 

[Amari]

Both my Demarees have inspection trays in. If I do another they are going on a solid floor

Why on to a solid floor? Less draught?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Why on to a solid floor? Less draught?

Just to keep them cosy and because having made two with UFE I’m aching to try one

 

[Cuckmere couple]

went down to the demaree with swarm cells today

put Q and a frame of BIAS in nuc with stores and consolidated demaree colony down to 1 BB

 

[Erichalfbee]

went down to the demaree with swarm cells today

put Q and a frame of BIAS in nuc with stores and consolidated demaree colony down to 1 BB

Belt and braces
Go back in a few days to remove any more QCs

 

[Erichalfbee]

@jenkinsbrynmair
When you nuc a queen in reaction to swarm cells do you reduce to one there and then and return in a week to remove all but the open one you first chose or do you mark your chosen queen cell and remove the rest in a week?

 

[Cuckmere couple]

i have left any that had started to be developed from the upstairs....there were two that had been started in the LBB since i went in on monday which i knocked back thinking the UBB would be demaree QCs and hopefully more supersedure in nature

will go back and knock all but one in a few more days...which to choose

 

[holmbee]

i have left any that had started to be developed from the upstairs....there were two that had been started in the LBB since i went in on monday which i knocked back thinking the UBB would be demaree QCs and hopefully more supersedure in nature

will go back and knock all but one in a few more days...which to choose

I always leave one where I have earlier seen the QC charged with good royal jelly just to reduce the chance of keeping a dud.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

thanks Holmbee...yes, my preference too...plus location as in 'a safe place'

 

[Cuckmere couple]

well JBM and Dani and others

i went into 3 demarees yesterday in the garden to move roll frames up and down

3 points/questions

1. found a single cup in UBB with a vertical egg. No other eggs, Q still in LBB, there have been no missed/emptied QCs etc. Could it be a bee moving an egg (would it still be vertical), or could an UBB on a demaree generate a laying worker or some other exp?
2. as i'd left the LBB with lots of room, they're not touching undrawn except the odd half a frame and there is a lot of empty comb to fill with nectar rather than the supers...would i be better adding some of my stored frames of stores so they have less room to add nectar in LBB and favour the super?
3. i have found an obviously positioned capped QC a couple of times having taken all down on 7th day....how do they achieve this? I really dont think i've missed it but maybe i only scrub the casing of the cell and can they remake if the larvae in RJ is not disturbed or some other exp?

thanks as ever in anticipation and hope others find it of interest too....

going into my other apiary today!

 

[drex]

I always do for the larvae as have been told they will rebuild cell if it is left

 

[holmbee]

In a demaree where do you put supers? Above the LBB but below the demaree board or above the UBB? If you have frames with nectar in the UBB do you move them down to the LBB on the basis that the workers will move the nectar upwards? Thanks for any guidance.
Michael

 

[Cuckmere couple]

Hi Michael

initially most demaree configurations have two supers above the LBB and QE.

i asked this question earlier and received wisdom is that you can add above UBB too if and when needed.

Quite a number of bees are using my UBB entrance through the demaree board that JBM shared plans for in an earlier post and therefore i was concerned they'd fill UBB. They do now seem to be using the UBB as well as the middle supers.

And yes, where they've stored some nectar where brood has emerged, i'm moving down hoping they will shift it but only if its patchy....if its a fuller frame I'm letting them complete - I am ending up with a lot of full brood frames of stores around!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

In a demaree where do you put supers? Above the LBB but below the demaree board or above the UBB? If you have frames with nectar in the UBB do you move them down to the LBB on the basis that the workers will move the nectar upwards? Thanks for any guidance.
Michael

In a Demarree the supers go above the lower brood box, but, once you have more than three supers it's much easier to put the extra ones above the top brood box.
Yoyu can 'roll' the Demaree by, each week, move frames full if capped brood up to the top box, replacing them with emerged frames from the top, if there is some unripe/ incapped stores in the ones from the top, the bees will kove it back up, leaving room for the queen to lay.#
Or
You can leave the bees fill the upper brood box with honey and extract at the end of the season.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

Yoyu can 'roll' the Demaree by, each week, move frames full if capped brood up to the top box, replacing them with emerged frames from the top,

Thanks JBM....i'm enjoying this rolling demaree process. i had thought it would be every two weeks that i move empties back down, but, i seem to be moving 4-5 frames BIAS every 7 days which seems a lot to me

 

[Erichalfbee]

If the weather doesn’t pick up I’m going to have to take mine down

 

[Cuckmere couple]

is that because they're slowing down Dani?

not sure what flow mine are on at the moment but it is so liquid in the frames, turn them horizontal and it pours out....only in the last few days though....lovely weather now and after some rain

 

[Erichalfbee]

They are chomping through their supers. We have only sycamore and Hawthorne before a putative June gap. Both are out and the next 10 days is showery and blustery. It’s 15 degrees today but very windy. Rubbish.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

yes...its a poor spring

just been into garden and hives are all frantic....its about 18-20 here and lovely....horse chestnut tree is out next to them and 3 rape fields within range although not many bees seem to have the yellow dusting....as i say, nectar in frames is v liquid....the hives in the wooded apiary are doing much better than garden as theyve had better forage for longer

 

[holmbee]

Many thanks Cuckmere and JBM. Most helpful! My immediate concern is the extent of any OSR nectar in the supers and in the brood that could shortly become solid. No OSR around that I have seen but if there is any the blighters will have spotted it. All part of the joy of bees!