Double Brood Boxes

[Macdee]

Now we are talking....Buckfast queens for sure.
These weren't quite wall to wall but not far off it, taken last week in the warm weather.

Thanks for sharing that - really great to see what wall to wall looks like; as a beginner

Al

 

[Macdee]

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).

Hi B+

Yes that makes sense, but should that be a brood box + QE + super; or
a QE + 2 supers ?
That is where I am not sure about which type of box to use.

Does that come down to how much honey is stored in the current brood box ?

Al

 

[B+.]

Hi B+

Yes that makes sense, but should that be a brood box + QE + super; or
a QE + 2 supers ?
That is where I am not sure about which type of box to use.

Does that come down to how much honey is stored in the current brood box ?

Al

My comment was in answer to an earlier post about the amount of comb area needed to house 6 combs of sealed brood when they emerge.
I live in an agricultural area so my main nectar flows are usually Oil Seed Rape (OSR) and field beans. Unfortunately, the OSR failed this year (probably due to so much rain during storms Ciara and Dennis) so I allow my colonies to build up on the hedgerows so they have large populations in time for my main nectar flows. I am just talking about giving them the space they need to grow and I have found that good queens can fill a double Langstroth deep in my area at the height of the season. They have the space to establish a proper brood nest with whole frames of pollen (at least 4) around them. If I was to add a queen excluder (which I don't always), I would add it above the second deep. Then, I would add deeps as honey supers. Typically a hive will comprise 4-6 deeps by June.
If you have a reasonable number of colonies, it can also take you a while to get around them all. A double brood box gives the queen space to continue making more bees for you. Also, if you're confined for a couple of weeks due to Covid-19, you won't lose them to a swarm.