Double Brood Boxes?

[macow]

Hi,
See once you start posting you just cant stop! The other question that has been perplexing me is whether or not raising colonies in double BB,s really helps their chances of overwintering.
A fair amount is written on the pro's and cons of this but i would be very interested to hear the views of more experienced beekeepers on the subject and the views of some of you that may have tried this.
In theory it makes sense but does it really work?

Marc

 

[Poly Hive]

Really depends on the strain of bee. I have never done it myself as I have found that an adlib fed colony can over winter on one nat bb. But....

I do not have overly prolific bees.

PH

 

[Bcrazy]

Hi macow

As soon as I can I build up colonies to become strong and with loads of bees, then I introduce them to a double brood chamber for the rest of the season.
My main hives are National and therefore I need to give the queens as much room as possible for laying.
Come autumn I reduce them into one brood chamber for over wintering.
Hope this helps but remember one man's method may not suit another person.

Regards;

 

[Finman]

.
Yes, the basic is the quality of queen, how much it is able to lay.
After 2 summers its ability drops.

Second question is do you want to limit brooding in one ox or two box with excluder.

I do not use exluder and I use 3-brood box if he queen is so good. Best hives winter in 2 Langtroth box. In summer my goal is to have 5-7 box hives.

 

[macow]

Hi Bcrazy/Finman/PH
Thats certainly more food for thought. I suppose that at this stage my main concern is about learning to build strong colonies to give them best chance for overwintering and to try and divide out two more colonies/nucs from them this summer. Im not too bothered about honey production at this stage, (although i do love honey) just learning how to manage the bees to the best of my ability, to give them the best chance.
Thanks for the advice
Marc

 

[jimbeekeeper]

and to try and divide out two more colonies/nucs from

If you give them (the queen) the space to expand / lay eggs by adding a second brrod box with new foundation, would this not reduce (prolong) the urge to build queen cells pre swarm?

Would not a better situation be to keep them tight is a single brodd box to force faster the building of queen cells, then divide / build nucs?

 

[Poly Hive]

This is where it gets interesting.

By adding a whole brood box of foundation above the colony may well feel "intimidated" for lack of a better word and go into swarm mode. I personally would add that below the exisitng bb to allow them to expand down whilst at the same time, add a super above an excluder to give them space to store honey.

Bees normally want to store honey above. So give them that chance lest you force them to store in the upper brood box and so negate what you are attempting to achieve.

PH

 

[Finman]

Hi Bcrazy/Finman/PH
Thats certainly more food for thought. I suppose that at this stage my main concern is about learning to build strong colonies

It is bee stocks genetic abilyty to lay large areas. It is not your learning matter. When you get a good layer, you must learn to enlarge the hive at right moment. Otherwise the colony escapes.

to give them best chance for overwintering

It is compicated question. We are here in Finland very good in wintering but you Bristish islanders do not want to learn anything. You are so national. Don.t say that you have different climate. Of course, if you had our climate you would have winter problems not at all. If we kill our hives in winter, we could not keep bees.

and to try and divide out two more colonies/nucs from them this summer.

It is better let them first grow full size, take a honey yield and then split hives for late summer build up.

of my ability, to give them the best chance.

To learn beekeeping takes many years. What I know about "best chance to bees' build up", it took 40 years from me. And even if I tell to you what I have learned, you say "it does not work here".

You have done it 100 years and it is more than my 40 years

.

 

[Finman]

.
I would bett that I can build up the bee colony 3 times faster than you do in Britain, but but ...and but

 

[BKF Admin]

How would you build up fast Finman please.

 

[Polyanwood]

...... and breathe

I think we should give you an honorary title... Lord JPhenomenal Apiarist of Helsinki. I know you are a fabulous beekeeper. I/we ask questions to help us learn.

Best wishes,

Karin

 

[Poly Hive]

I will say this yet again Finman and I have said it several times before.

Our climate is far wetter than yours. conditions ARE different.

I was colder on a Scottish beach at +2C than I was at Niagara Falls at -16C

Why? Because the canadian climate like yours is winter dry and the UK is winter wet.

It does make a difference I'm afraid.

I spoke to a BeeFarmer in Ontario and what he told me and showed me matches with what you say. Their bees built up at a vary fast rate compared to ours, and filled three or four brood boxes with brood. I have never seen bees over in the UK that could achieve that build up.

PH

 

[Finman]

Our climate is far wetter than yours. conditions ARE different.

I

OK then. I go to England, I promise that I would raise 4 times faster beehives than your national ever green system.

Of course conditions are different. I have been several times in England. I have seen you vegetation, fields and roads and gardens.

Our spring comes 2 months later than yours. From weather map I have seen your temperatures.

We have same bees. Our bees live in same or not same temperatures and I surely understant what its means. It is not a secret to me.

National hive by google Single maid or doulble bride?

 

[Finman]

...... and breathe

I think we should give you an honorary title

My title is in Finnish forum "Six Stars Over Marschall of Air Forces". I think that you cannot find better.

Everyone who has written 500 , he gets title Marschall of Air Forces, but I am OVER.

The female beekeeper who has hive on polar circle, she is "The Honey Queen of Polar Circle".

 

[Polyanwood]

Six stars! (super impressive because the maximum you can get in MacDonalds as an employee is five)

I am very glad that you have not lost your good humour and that you will be treating your subjects well.

 

[Finman]

I am very glad that you have not lost your good humour :

We have so different climate here: moist, cold, windy .

 

[Polyanwood]

You are so right! The climate on this forum is not always warm and temperate.

 

[BKF Admin]

You are so right! The climate on this forum is not always warm and temperate.

I do think it may be a translation problem sometimes.
I am keeping my eye on the situation so that we keep a nice friendly place to chat and learn.

 

[Finman]

I do think it may be a translation problem sometimes.
.

If you have problems, use this

Если вы имеете проблемы, то используйте это

Εάν έχετε τα προβλήματα, χρησιμοποιήστε αυτό

問題を有したら、これを使用しなさい


http://fi.babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_txt

 

[BKF Admin]

Finman Bablefish can make things even worse though sometimes.
The trouble with the english language is it can be very lexically ambiguous at times.

As an example I remember using a sports forum a few years back that had a post by an englishman saying that an Italians post was very cutting and abrasive.

It translated that the englishman wanted to sharpen a knife on a stone and stab the Italian.