Double Brood Boxes

[Beefriendly]

When a queen is laying wall to wall you can expect the colony to stuff the combs above in the super with loads of pollen.

Not if you manage them well or know what you are doing.
But what you do end up with is pollen clogged brood frames. Something I('ve yet to find a solution to.

 

[beeno]

Extract from a recently released book:

Peter: Generally, Steve, if they have a honey arc on the top of the brood frame they probably have a box of about the right size and you just super above it.

Steve: If they see there’s honey above their heads how will they find out that there’s more space above that for storing more?

Peter: They find out, don’t worry about that. If you had a standard National brood box you often won’t find a honey arc because it’s wall to wall brood, every cell right to the outside.

Steve: Right.

Peter: When they get to that stage, if you’ve got a nice prolific queen and she’s
laying up every cell, there’s only one thing you need to give them – another brood box on top. Not a super; a brood chamber. If she’s a less prolific queen and you have got the honey arc then you don’t need another brood box because she isn’t going to go up there, you need to put shallows up there. Even when they are five supers high they find the space; they are up there filling the top box.

Name that book pls. The only time I see the arch is when they commence winter preps.

 

[beeno]

When a queen is laying wall to wall you can expect the colony to stuff the combs above in the super with loads of pollen.

I have never seen the stuffing of pollen in the super on any of my colonies just the wall to wall brood. It's all about the timing I guess

 

[beeno]

Not if you manage them well or know what you are doing.
But what you do end up with is pollen clogged brood frames. Something I('ve yet to find a solution to.

They soon get eaten, I have never seen it as a problem. I had a whole jumbo brood box full once. To my surprise all gone by Xmas - greedy Italians.

 

[Swarm]

Explains a lot.

 

[Beefriendly]

They soon get eaten, I have never seen it as a problem. I had a whole jumbo brood box full once. To my surprise all gone by Xmas - greedy Italians.

It may relate more to available pollen in the area you keep your bees. I get problems every late July where pollen is in such an abundance they stuff it everywhere.
I've tried several means of preserving it overwinter and non have worked and no-one seems to have the answer. I have just rendered over 50 mouldy brood frames of it and decided next move has to be yet another freezer (when available). Pollen is the limiting factor in spring build up around me, so would have been good to be able to give them a couple of pollen frames around a month ago.

 

[B+.]

Name that book pls. The only time I see the arch is when they commence winter preps.

https://thewalrusandthehoneybee.com/category/interviews-with-beekeepers/

 

[Murox]

I think you may be probably right. Pollen availability where I am is a problem early spring and I get a later build up, they do catch up by end of May, weather permitting, and certainly pollen gets placed anywhere but I am in a more "marginal' area.
Maybe you could try some pollen traps, bag it up then freeze. Takes a bit less space in the freezer than frames ? Of course you still have to store the traps somewhere and its more work than just placing frames in the freezer, which will also kill off some nasties.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Hi all,

What are the influencing factors that would lead you to run a hive on double brood ?

I currently have a very busy hive on a single deep brood box, with 6 frames of wall to wall brood; 4 out of the 6 frames are sealed

Cheers

Al

If you have 6 frames with brood, you have several spare for the queen to lay in, although with a wooden box, the colony is less likely to lay up the outside frames than in a poly. If there's a flow on, or just because they can, bees will put honey wherever they can and then usually move it up later.

 

[B+.]

If you have 6 frames with brood, you have several spare for the queen to lay in, although with a wooden box, the colony is less likely to lay up the outside frames than in a poly. If there's a flow on, or just because they can, bees will put honey wherever they can and then usually move it up later.

It's also a good idea to think a couple of weeks ahead. 6 frames of bees will be more than enough to fill a box when they've emerged.
Particularly at this time, you have to think: "What happens if I can't come on the next scheduled visit"? If they are expanding well, give them the space and allow them to grow into it. Mine all have double Langstroth deeps now.

 

[Curly green finger's]

It's also a good idea to think a couple of weeks ahead. 6 frames of bees will be more than enough to fill a box when they've emerged.
Particularly at this time, you have to think: "What happens if I can't come on the next scheduled visit"? If they are expanding well, give them the space and allow them to grow into it. Mine all have double Langstroth deeps now.

Bloody carnica bee's.

 

[B+.]

Bloody carnica bee's.

It's about knowing your bees and thinking ahead.
At this time of year, most colonies begin expanding rapidly. If you count the number of cells on a frame, then think:"How many frames of comb would that number of adult bees occupy?". That gives you an idea of how much space they will need in 3 weeks (if they're eggs - less if they're sealed).

 

[For want of a better word]

Bloody carnica bee's.

Apostrophe rule error!

should be " Bloody Carnica bees"
or possibly "Bloody Carnica's bees" if the bees belonged to Carnica?

But The bee's knees... if the knees belonged to the bees.... or is it bees' knees?

Confusing???

 

[Curly green finger's]

Apostrophe rule error!

should be " Bloody Carnica bees"
or possibly "Bloody Carnica's bees" if the bees belonged to Carnica?

But The bee's knees... if the knees belonged to the bees.... or is it bees' knees?

Confusing???

I new you were lurking out there somewhere you cornish pixie!

 

[Ian123]

I new you were lurking out there somewhere you cornish pixie!

He’s been up to his neck on the barricades!

 

[Curly green finger's]

Do you reckon he's got a tin hat [emoji106]

Sent from my YAL-L21 using Tapatalk

 

[For want of a better word]

Do you reckon he's got a tin hat [emoji106]

Sent from my YAL-L21 using Tapatalk

Full metal jacket and my 3M respirator...... and a very long pike!!!


Yeghes da

 

[Ian123]

Did you bring the pike when you moved down there from Surrey! Most of the Cornish just do with a pointy stick.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Full metal jacket and my 3M respirator...... and a very long pike!!!


Yeghes da

Ah.... I got you, why would you want a long Pike.. Unless your wanting to scare folk with there Teath.
Do you have a fishing fetish?

I've done my back in with a pickel years ago stacking small square bales

 

[Hebeegeebee]

It's also a good idea to think a couple of weeks ahead. 6 frames of bees will be more than enough to fill a box when they've emerged.
Particularly at this time, you have to think: "What happens if I can't come on the next scheduled visit"? If they are expanding well, give them the space and allow them to grow into it. Mine all have double Langstroth deeps now.

Agreed, a full brood box will need space above it for bees, even if there's no honey in the supers to speak of.