Double brood

[klisic]

Who's going with db config for winter ?

 

[REDWOOD]

Not me 14x12

 

[klisic]

Not me 14x12

First year of trying it, every frame in top brood box is full and capped. I think that should be enough as I never had to feed this year !!

 

[Tom Bick]

I have a couple of hives. Would have liked more but the hives for one thing and another just not big enough so the single brood hives got a part filled super to overwinter.

 

[klisic]

That should be enough. I think I had a really good year up here, even after having no spring. They really took off after that delayed start. Main thing next year, if is was you get them into db before supering !!

 

[Dared]

I'm on double brood as box still full of bees when looked to remove it. So fingers crossed. Would love to have a camera in there so could see they are ok!

 

[klisic]

I'm on double brood as box still full of bees when looked to remove it. So fingers crossed. Would love to have a camera in there so could see they are ok!

Is one bb not full of stores ?

 

[domino]

My first winter I left my hive on brood and a half - unpicking it in the spring wasn't fun which is why I moved to 12x14s this year.

 

[klisic]

My first winter I left my hive on brood and a half - unpicking it in the spring wasn't fun which is why I moved to 12x14s this year.

But if you have db you don't need to worry about that, that's the idea I hope !!

 

[Finman]

Who's going with db config for winter ?

First of all, you should reduce the wintering room according the size of the bee cluster.

If the hive has 6 frames of brood before autumn, it needs 6 frames room to over winter.

If hive has 8 frames brood, 10 frame box is enough.

Douple brood wintering room is needed, if the hive has 12-15 frames brood.
In practice it means that hive had 6-8 boxes in the middle of summer.

If you have too much room for bees during winter, it does not give such shelter to the bees as it should give.

Bees heat themselves and heat escapes to the vain space of hive. Then moisture condensates onto store frames. So, extra room is harmull.

.

 

[Finman]

First year of trying it, !

I have had them 50 years. Douple brood is not needed for food store but for the size of the colony.

If one langstroth is not enough to the colony, then give them 2 boxes.
If one is OK, second is harmful.

 

[klisic]

First of all, you should reduce the wintering room according the size of the bee cluster.

If the hive has 6 frames of brood before autumn, it needs 6 frames room to over winter.

If hive has 8 frames brood, 10 frame box is enough.

Douple brood wintering room is needed, if the hive has 12-15 frames brood.
In practice it means that hive had 6-8 boxes in the middle of summer.

If you have too much room for bees during winter, it does not give such shelter to the bees as it should give.

Bees heat themselves and heat escapes to the vain space of hive. Then moisture condensates onto store frames. So, extra room is harmull.

.

Finman my bees where on at least 11 frames of brood in summer, so I'm sticking with that config.

 

[farbee]

Finman my bees where on at least 11 frames of brood in summer, so I'm sticking with that config.

I had that configuration last year. Thought they would move up. They didn't and just had all that space above them to keep warm.
Would it not be a good idea to switch the boxes round?

 

[Finman]

Finman my bees where on at least 11 frames of brood in summer, so I'm sticking with that config.

Sounds good. And if the the cluster fills now one box, it has no difficulties to winter in douple.

When you setup the douple brood for winter, brood frames should be in lower box. Because cluster starts wintering in that point, where they last had brood.

Puting down the brood frames you avoid isolation starvation. Bees start wintering and cluster moves up.
Sometimes it is isolated from first boxe's stores and dies out.

 

[klisic]

I had that configuration last year. Thought they would move up. They didn't and just had all that space above them to keep warm.
Would it not be a good idea to switch the boxes round?

Thought feral bees always move up as they naturally store above and then move up in winter !!

 

[Finman]

I had that configuration last year. Thought they would move up. They didn't and just had all that space above them to keep warm.
Would it not be a good idea to switch the boxes round?

If they have too much space, it is better to take off. Loot at the situation of brood.

In spring extra room really harms build up.

Thought feral bees always move up as they naturally store above and then move up in winter !!

yes, allways follow their natural behaviour.

 

[klisic]

If they have too much space, it is better to take off. Loot at the situation of brood.

In spring extra room really harms build up.



yes, allways follow their natural behaviour.

I'm sticking with this config. Do you think they'll use a whole bb full of stores ? And what's the difference in a brood and half compared to db?

 

[domino]

But if you have db you don't need to worry about that, that's the idea I hope !!

Be interested to see you post in the spring how it worked out for you.

 

[klisic]

Be interested to see you post in the spring how it worked out for you.

Yes I hope it does, it's been good year here and bees seem healthy so fingers crossed !!

 

[Stickyfingers]

Who's going with db config for winter ?

Yep trying this this year. At peak had 3 Deep boxes and 3 mediums on each so they were big colonies. Couldn't pack them into one.