Demaree with grafting in mind?

[Poly Hive]

I am off to Islay for 10 days next week. Yes, I know its a bugger but the distilleries need supporting....LOL 8 in 7 days... decisions... LOL

I have a very strong double brood hive with at the moment two supers on the colony which is also my breeder of choice.

My plan is to take off the bottom BB and put it over a Horsely board with the entrance to the rear the day before I leave. I will add a couple more supers so it will be on double brood as I will add another bottom BB with foundation to keep them busy. I will be back in 11 days time so I am hoping to use the ripe cells for some nucs and the rest for grafts in due course.

Does the panel agree with this plan? I am asking as it is out of my normal manipulations so if you see a flaw please say so.

PH

 

[Beefriendly]

I would add that it might be worth marking the frames with eggs and young larvae. There is a possibility when in "emergency" mode they might draw queen cells from 3-4 larvae.

And being pedantic if you add a board it's not a Demaree...A Horsley board is just a simpler Snelgrove board.

 

[Poly Hive]

Err yes. Which is why the queen is getting trapped today so as to avoid having to worry about cells.

PH

 

[Beefriendly]

errr......what will the top brood box make queen cells from if you are trapping her and preventing her from laying any eggs?

Or have you got an even more complicated plan whereby you release her a couple of days before you go whisky guzzling.
Non of which was included in your original plan asking if what you where doing was fine.

 

[Finman]

.
Complex systems.

 

[Poly Hive]

Academic now sadly as they have started cells and the queen is absent. Must have tried to swarm yesterday and she is lost. Blast it. Now for plan B....

PH

 

[mbc]

If you were to graft into the top box of a demaree type split then you're asking a bunch of bees denuded of their flyers to raise queen cells, I wouldn't expect them to be premium unless the numbers were low ~ 6 ish, therefore all a bit of a waste of resources imho

 

[oliver90owner]

For once, in agreement with one of the lesser lights.

Demaree, Horsley board and grafting do not go together. One of the three would be adequate, but with different outcomes - the number of queens generated, really, dependent on the beekeeper’s actions. Demaree, only one or two supercedure cell; Horsley depends on when the trap is closed and grafting is according to how many cells are grafted - but if you are going away, how would you prevent emergency cells in that top box.

Seems a peculiar plan, to me. Only posted to warn other readers of what would happen if you did this.

 

[Poly Hive]

I was suspicious myself which is why I posted up.

PH

 

[Finman]

.
Your weathers are not very good for queen rearing. But such weathers accelerate swarming, when bees do not have nothing to do. .... Automatic queens!

 

[mbc]

For once, in agreement with one of the lesser lights..

Lol. Spat my tea out!
I suppose the light is blinding directly behind you