OP
gardening-girl
New Bee
Thanks for all advice.I will ponder on.
I think that Dan`s answer seems very concise,and quite possibly what my friend meant.
I think that Dan`s answer seems very concise,and quite possibly what my friend meant.
You're still confusing the orientation of comb building with the movement of a brood cluster within available space.
I don't think we're really adding much to the discussion of double brood pros/cons now.
or look for a new home..
That'll be why we put our supers underneath the brood box(es) then...?
They will quite happily expand upwards - at a steady but manageable pace.
My brain engaged neutral half way thro that..I always add a second brood chamber of foundation on top of the existing one, and lift a frame of brood from the lower chamber to place in the center of the top box, frame of foundation replaces this frame of brood in the bottom box, placed towards the outside of the box, feed thin syrup if no nectar flow, when they have drawn out several of the top frames of foundation i place any containing just stores to the outer walls of the box, moving any remaining undrawn foundation frames towards the center, plus place drawn comb back into bottom box and move foundation frame up to the top, unless already drawn (they often don't)... this way the combs get well drawn right to the bottom bars, and the heat above helps the wax drawing process, i also often queen exclude a single box, and add a super for a while before adding a second brood box if only foundation...add the second brood when they are working the super well with plenty of bees.
My brain engaged neutral half way thro that..
Ok but just one more then..
if you had a brood box and a super on top of it and wanted to add another brood box, where would you put it?
I always add a second brood chamber of foundation on top of the existing one, and lift a frame of brood from the lower chamber to place in the center of the top box, frame of foundation replaces this frame of brood in the bottom box, placed towards the outside of the box, feed thin syrup if no nectar flow, when they have drawn out several of the top frames of foundation i place any containing just stores to the outer walls of the box, moving any remaining undrawn foundation frames towards the center, plus place drawn comb back into bottom box and move foundation frame up to the top, unless already drawn (they often don't)... this way the combs get well drawn right to the bottom bars, and the heat above helps the wax drawing process, i also often queen exclude a single box, and add a super for a while before adding a second brood box if only foundation...add the second brood when they are working the super well with plenty of bees.
Much the same as Dan really
Or you can mess about as Hivemaker describes, and try to encourage/drive the bees to do something unnatural.
Thank you for the remarks about my complete incompetence... i find they draw the combs faster and much better quality above, usually around four to five days to draw a full standard national box, and much less work for me and the bees being above in the warm and not down in the cold avoiding drawing comb right to the bottom bars.
Thank you for the remarks about my complete incompetence... i find they draw the combs faster and much better quality above, usually around four to five days to draw a full standard national box, and much less work for me and the bees being above in the warm and not down in the cold avoiding drawing comb right to the bottom bars.
Well ... Beekeeping is never simple is it ? If you are not confused and indecisive now you never will be .. what it does show is that there is always more than one RIGHT way in beekeeping and your sole aim as a beginner has to be to learn from everyone and then make your own mind up what you are going to do. Some of the time it will be wrong but most times you can still put things back together without a disaster.
For me ... it's what really makes beekeeping interesting and a challenge .. it teaches you to think, consider, plan and then act and then have a Plan B for when it all goes belly up !
I do the same as Hivemaker, chimney a couple of brood frames up into the second brood box replace with foundation and fill up the remaining space with foundation.
Had them draw the whole lot in a few days.
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