How spring build up explodes?

[Finman]

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Many say, that they have small winter clusters but then colonies explodes.

This spring has been warm and the build up has bee optimal. Bees have got more than needed willow nectar and pollen. In two weeks some strong hives have brought willow honey 10-15 kg.

But the explosion: After 3 weeks of willow bloom start biggest hives have 16 frames of brood. It is two langstroth full.

Most hives have one box full of bees and they are able to rear 6-8 frames brood.

Then there are colonies, which cannot occupy only 7 frames and they can rear 5 frames brood, but frames are not as full as big hives have.

Now we can make a relation roughly 16 : 8 : 4 = ...... 4 : 2 : 1.

All hives have the same brood cycle 3 weeks.

You can clearly see that biggest hives can really explode, but it is impossible to the smaller colonies.

But it depends on the queen as a layer. Good layers pass the worse layers later.

Equation tells too, how large wintered colonies get a good amount of foragers for early yields.
My giant hives are now buckfasts or buckfast hybrids. But there are buckfast in smaller category too.

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[Angularity]

I have (eventually) accepted that it is more productive to have fewer large colonies, than many small colonies.

 

[Bakerbee]

Interesting observation finny. I have 2 buckfasts on double brood and explosion is a well chosen word. Mine are very full and being very productive in laying and foraging.

 

[Finman]

Interesting observation finny. I have 2 buckfasts on double brood and explosion is a well chosen word. Mine are very full and being very productive in laying and foraging.

Take care of free working space in the hive. And look that the hive is properly crowded.