Double BB

[SixFooter]

I've doubled up on BB on one of my hives last week and inspecting today, there is young brood on 6 frames in the new BB and the old BB has a similar number of frames of capped brood. Seems like a massive and sudden increase in size. Did giving the extra space stimulate this to happen? If so, I could do the same for a couple of other strong colonies.

 

[YorkshireBees]

Personally I will be demaree my colonies as and when they are starting to run out of space. I have one double brood and hate it already and that I demaree'd (?) yesterday.

After a talk at my local bka last month from a semi-commercial honey farmer I believe that it is the way to go as it boosts the population whilst giving more space for the queen to lay. Timing and the use of drawn brood comb seems to be the key to this procedure.

This being the 1st year I am carrying out this procedure I cannot swear by it but if successful then I will continue with it.

 

[Gardenbees]

I've doubled up on BB on one of my hives last week and inspecting today, there is young brood on 6 frames in the new BB and the old BB has a similar number of frames of capped brood. Seems like a massive and sudden increase in size. Did giving the extra space stimulate this to happen? If so, I could do the same for a couple of other strong colonies.

Mine have done something similar. It is the extra space - particularly if they still had stores taking up space in the original brood box. Mine had two or three granulated honey combs in the brood box, which I've bruised now and which are back in the production line again, but any restrictions like that will make them very keen to get going on new space, especially when the nectar flow is good. I used alternating foundationless and wired foundation frames, and they've pretty much drawn out a whole 14x12 boxful in a week. But they are a very strong colony, and the nectar flow seems to be unusually good at the moment. I'm hoping to divide them fairly soon and this will make it easy... but I have to keep reminding myself that everything I was expecting to do sometime in May is now happening at the beginning of April, so we could yet have a lull or even some much colder, duller weather which slows everything down.

 

[Finman]

.
Basic reason of brood boost is the masses of young nurser bees emerge and colony is capable to nurse bigger brood ball. Then they need sunny days that they can fly to flowers.

Of course they need new space. Otherwise they swarm.

6+6 brood frames is a nice amount. when you give the third box, change the order of brood boxes.

 

[Finman]

Personally I will be demaree my colonies as and when they are starting to run out of space. I have one double brood and hate it already and that I demaree'd (?) yesterday.

it.

take that demaree board away and the hive is like nothing has happened.

 

[YorkshireBees]

take that demaree board away and the hive is like nothing has happened.

Hi Finman, thanks for your reply but I'm not 100% sure what you mean.

I am changing from a double std national brood back to a single and have therefore now gone to the following configuration.

Top to Bottom

Brood Box with emerging brood stores etc.
Demaree Board
Honey Super
Queen Excluder
Brood Box with brood + Queen.
OMF

In this case as the hive was a double BB to start with my initial aim is to allow the emerging brood in the top BB to hatch and join the workers in the bottom BB (which still has space for the Queen to lay eggs). Initially I will need to check for Queen cells in the top box until they have no more viable eggs to create them. After that 3weeks later when all the brood has hatched I can remove the top Brood box and in theory I have boosted the work force whilst still having space for the Queen to lay.

At least that is how the procedure was explained to me.

 

[Haughton Honey]

Hi Finman, thanks for your reply but I'm not 100% sure what you mean.

I am changing from a double std national brood back to a single and have therefore now gone to the following configuration.

Top to Bottom

Brood Box with emerging brood stores etc.
Demaree Board
Honey Super
Queen Excluder
Brood Box with brood + Queen.
OMF

In this case as the hive was a double BB to start with my initial aim is to allow the emerging brood in the top BB to hatch and join the workers in the bottom BB (which still has space for the Queen to lay eggs). Initially I will need to check for Queen cells in the top box until they have no more viable eggs to create them. After that 3weeks later when all the brood has hatched I can remove the top Brood box and in theory I have boosted the work force whilst still having space for the Queen to lay.

At least that is how the procedure was explained to me.

What is this mystical 'demaree board' that you're referring to Paul?

Are we talking a split board here that provides a separate entrance?

If so, why aren't you using a second QX instead of this board to keep the strength of the colony?

 

[Tim1606]

.
Basic reason of brood boost is the masses of young nurser bees emerge and colony is capable to nurse bigger brood ball. Then they need sunny days that they can fly to flowers.

Of course they need new space. Otherwise they swarm.

6+6 brood frames is a nice amount. when you give the third box, change the order of brood boxes.

I have found that when adding a third brood box, it seems to be better to place in the middle of the other two thus splitting the brood.

 

[Poly Hive]

Before getting all excited, think what weather you have just had and what the forecasters are now saying for the rest of this week.

Wednesday here is predicted to be 7 C.

PH

 

[Finman]

I have found that when adding a third brood box, it seems to be better to place in the middle of the other two thus splitting the brood.

it is surely worst you can do.

 

[Tim1606]

it is surely worst you can do.

Never had any problems before. I don't do it until about the end of this month when i think they will need it. As PH says about the temperature, got to watch the weather.

 

[YorkshireBees]

What is this mystical 'demaree board' that you're referring to Paul?

Are we talking a split board here that provides a separate entrance?

If so, why aren't you using a second QX instead of this board to keep the strength of the colony?

Not sure if your mixing me up with someone else as My name isn't Paul.

Anyway my board (home made from a crown board) has an entrance slot cut on one side (On the top half of the board) and the feed hole(s) covered by bits of old queen excluder.
This allows the drones to exit using the entrance and the house / nurse bees to move down through the super(s) to the bottom brood box.
The idea is that as the brood hatches in the top box there is less work to do for the nurse bees and they ar attracted down to the bottom brood box by the smell of the brood rearing taking place there.

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