Expanding brood

[zippy573]

thanks

 

[Illo]

This is exactly what we did - watch this space and I will report back following our next inspection on Saturday. We did this with two colonies, in a similar state (both are healthy, vigorous, and the queens are both laying for England).

Fabulous diagrams, drstitson. Most impressed!

LJ

Quick update following our inspections of our two hives at the weekend.

The first, which is further advanced to start with, the new and turned frames are virtually indistinguishable from the existing brood, all fully drawn, and full of brood.

The second hive, which is a couple of weeks behind, the inserted frame was fully drawn and completely full of eggs and very young larvae. The queen was on this frame when we took it out, busy pottering around and checking out spots to lay. Both outer frames drawn and full of stores.

So on the whole, splitting the brood worked well and HM has been working hard to use the new space.

LJ

 

[rae]

So on the whole, splitting the brood worked well and HM has been working hard to use the new space.

Yup. I was deeply sceptical about this (all the books say don't do it), until I tried it. When you see the results, it is obvious. This year, all of the hives are on 9 - 10 frames of brood, rather than the 5 - 9 they were on last year.