Demarree - Earliest

[SteveG]

Evening, Mated swarm from late 2021 - Brood and half - large quantity of working and drone brood in both boxes.

1/ What is the earliest you would Demarree?

2/ Setup for brood and 1/2? - New brood Box, QX, Super with drawn foundation, Brood box, Half Brood, CB, Roof?

thanks

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

What does 'large quantity' actually mean?

2/ Setup for brood and 1/2? - New brood Box, QX, Super with drawn foundation, Brood box, Half Brood, CB, Roof?

yes, but you shouldn't need to Demarree until you have at least one super almost filled and another one added

 

[SteveG]

What does 'large quantity' actually mean?

Brood Box - 6+ frames of brood + 5 frames in super above brood box+ Drone brood on several frames in brood box.

yes, but you shouldn't need to Demarree until you have at least one super almost filled and another one added. OK,

.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

.
Brood Box - 6+ frames of brood + 5 frames in super above brood box+ Drone brood on several frames in brood box.

Not really anywhere near ready for a Demarree then - not even ready for a super.

 

[SteveG]

Not really anywhere near ready for a Demarree then - not even ready for a super.

ok, thanks. The hive is next to OSR. Some guidelines to when I should consider demarree?

 

[Erichalfbee]

ok, thanks. The hive is next to OSR. Some guidelines to when I should consider demarree?

It’s all here
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/demaree.46464/

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Demaree with brood and a half? I personally don't like brood and a half so I would put the queen in the brood box and place an excluder between both boxes to keep her in place. Letting any drones out from the super when possible. With OSR around, you might well need another super or two before you decide to demaree and to house the bees too of course. Generally you demaree a week before you see queencells (!) if it's a preventative measure. Most colonies will be happy with 8 or 9 frames of brood without producing them.

 

[Arfermo]

How do you demaree a week before you see QCs?

Demaree with brood and a half? I personally don't like brood and a half so I would put the queen in the brood box and place an excluder between both boxes to keep her in place. Letting any drones out from the super when possible. With OSR around, you might well need another super or two before you decide to demaree and to house the bees too of course. Generally you demaree a week before you see queencells (!) if it's a preventative measure. Most colonies will be happy with 8 or 9 frames of brood without producing them.

How do you demaree a week before you see QCs. Surely if no QCs you can't know when to demaree?

 

[Curly green finger's]

How do you demaree a week before you see QCs?

How do you demaree a week before you see QCs. Surely if no QCs you can't know when to demaree?

Interesting I've always done it on size of colony - solid capped brood frames / honey flow.
Can't see how you can judge a week before QCs to demaree.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Surely if no QCs you can't know when to demaree?

if you find QC's it's too late for a Demarree as it's a pre-emptive method, you just need to judge the colony and know when they are likely to prepare to swarm.

 

[user 819]

As long as Q has plenty of laying room then 6 + 5 is barely 50% of laying space and is it full frames of brood or just some brood on each of the laid up frames ?

It is said the bees have made up there mind to prepare some three weeks before Qc's are seen so it is a judgement of what one see's in the colony.

A large quantity of DB could be a poorly mated queen, what % of the brood is DB ?

 

[user 819]

How do you demaree a week before you see QCs?

How do you demaree a week before you see QCs. Surely if no QCs you can't know when to demaree?

To late by then.
Once in swarm mode both parts will produce Q cells if one carries out the demaree to the book and that is moving all brood up.

 

[user 819]

If a flow is on then one needs supers to prevent clogging of laying space, as mentioned it is a judgement of how the colony is growing and foraging.

However if a Q is failing or poorly mated they will still replace her even if a demaree is undertaken.

 

[Curly green finger's]

As long as Q has plenty of laying room then 6 + 5 is barely 50% of laying space and is it full frames of brood or just some brood on each of the laid up frames ?

It is said the bees have made up there mind to prepare some three weeks before Qc's are seen so it is a judgement of what one see's in the colony.

A large quantity of DB could be a poorly mated queen, what % of the brood is DB ?

When I first came on the forum @Finman said 2/3 weeks before swarm preps.

 

[Curly green finger's]

If a flow is on then one needs supers to prevent clogging of laying space, as mentioned it is a judgement of how the colony is growing and foraging.

However if a Q is failing or poorly mated they will still replace her even if a demaree is undertaken.

Well you said it better than me

 

[user 819]

When I first came on the forum @Finman said 2/3 weeks before swarm preps.

Likely the quote I have seen from our nordic beekeeper.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Likely the quote I have seen from our nordic beekeeper.

It's always stuck in my mind, like many things from being on here.

 

[user 819]

Despite the ribbing he takes, he is a font of knowledge.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Despite the ribbing he takes, he is a font of knowledge.

 

[polymath]

I run my colonies on 8 Frames in a National Box, double national , so equal in space to brood and half but vertical in effect (use a gaffer tape block of correx for the space). I tend to do a version of demaree when i get to brood over 10 - 12 frames. Here in the SE with the warm weather this year out of about a dozen colonies i have four that are now Demareed. My version is more a split than a traditonal demaree in that i put the queen downstairs mostly capped brood, expand box to 11 frames with Foundation Frames. QE, 2 x Super, QE, with entrance facing backwards, Box with eggs/brood. Allow them to raise new queen (destroy all but one or two queen cells) then merge back down to Brood/ QE with entrance forward / Brood/ QE / Supers so that I run two queen hive. If needed second box gets 11 Frames as well.