How do I move from brood and a half to 12 x 14?

[Perry]

In this nice weather today I had a quick look inside my hive for the first time this year. I have a brood box and a super underneath that was full of stores when I put it there last autumn. It is still almost full! I want to move to a single 12x14 brood box and get rid of the super underneath. Any suggestions how I (1) get rid od the super and (2) move to the 12x14? Te bees appear healthy and strong with lots coming and going in the entrance. Ther were relatively docile so I think the queen is OK.
Thanks in advance!

 

[mbc]

"How do I move from brood and a half to 12 x 14? "

By unnecessarily spending oodles of cash to buy into the idea of a frame size you will struggle to inspect properly unless you have forearms and wrists like Popeye.

 

[rae]

Two different problems here.

Getting them onto 14x12. When it is a bit warmer, stick a 14x12 full of foundation on top of the brood box. Once the bees have started to draw it, make sure the queen is up there (with a queen excluder), and inside 3 weeks all of the original brood will have hatched, and that brood box can be removed for extraction or whatever. The only risk to this method is if it gets cold, the bees will have a cavernous space to keep warm, so make sure that you don't do it until good weather is certain.

Getting rid of the super - bruise it (scratch across the cappings with a hive tool), and they will get the hint - they will probably consume loads of it drawing the 14x12.

 

[Erichalfbee]

oops it's all been said by the time I finished the post

 

[region2]

shook swarm

R2

 

[Perry]

Thanks, Rae, for the straight forward advice. I'll do it when it gets warmer.

R2 - what do you mean by "shook swarm"

Perry

 

[adrian wilford]

dont shook swarm, put the 14 x 12 on top and on top of that put the biggest feeder you have and fill it with syrup so they have something to draw out the new foundation with

 

[Beeline]

Perry - just a wording a warning in the method Rae has suggested. If there is brood in both the deep box below and then in the 14 x 12 above (with Queen) and you place a QX between, you run the risk that they will produce supercedure cells - lack of pheromones in the bottom box. Happened to me last year. Just be aware that's all.

I'm down to one hive but it is strong. Also on brood and half with half under and I want to transfer them onto 14 x 12 however I also want to spawn off 2no. nucs. Unlike in your situation my super is empty but I'd suggest spin off the stores and feed back later when they need to draw out the 14 x 12 comb as Rae says.

Tomorrow I'm going to swop the super to its rightful place above. Mid to late April (weather dependant) I intend to Demaree, placing the 14 x 12 box of foundation below with the queen on an existing deep frame of brood and stores. Above it'll place super then QX then super then the existing deep brood. I hope to spawn 2 nucs from that existing deep box of brood.

In an ideal world, job done!! however somehow the bees never read the manual

Seriously, if you have the space and the kit, I would use the change out to spawn off a nuc or two so at least you have a backup plan in case something should happen to your only hive.

Good luck.