Inspecting double height hive

[youngyoungs]

Hi all,

I have a couple of hives that are made up of two brood box with supers in between. When I inspect the bottom box, there are lots of flying bees from the top box around looking for the entrance to their hve. Any ideas on the best way to inspect the bottom box??

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

So, to be clear, two entrances? Two queens??

 

[Midland Beek]

I have a couple of hives that are made up of two brood box with supers in between. When I inspect the bottom box, there are lots of flying bees from the top box around looking for the entrance to their hve. Any ideas on the best way to inspect the bottom box??

We don't know what you are doing.

 

[Madge]

Why are the two brood boxes separated by supers?
When I inspect a hive with two brood boxes, I go about it very much like a hive with one brood box. I stack the supers slightly askew on the upturned roof followed by the top BB. I might cover the top slightly with a frame or crown board, but the bees can still get out.

 

[Oscarmonster]

Sounds like a demaree type arrangement.

 

[Finman]

.
How to inspect bottom box?.....you lift 2 other boxes off and then look frame by frame, what is there. It is only way even if I lift 7 boxes off.

What to do next, depends what lower box frames have (bees, stores, brood).
It is better to look other boxes too, how much they have brood and stores.
.
Flying bees searching entrance sounds like robbing.
Own bees know their entrance.

If lowest box is not occupyed, robbers may go in freely.

 

[oliver90owner]

As per Finman, just get the job done.

You put the entrances there, you live with it. Simple as that.

 

[youngyoungs]

Sorry all, serves me right for a late night post without providing all the information.

Yes two entrances, Snelgrove board above the supers. There will be two queens, the top box has an opened queen cell in it, so I suspect she's in the box, mated or unmated.

I've left the top box alone, moving it as a whole, but wanted to make sure all was well in the bottom.

In short your advice is, suck it up and get on with it?

 

[Mellifera397]

I'm no expert but what happens when the unmated queen returns to find her hive gone??

Does she go into the lower brood box to get killed by the other queen. Sounds a bit of a risk to me.

M

 

[bontbee]

Yes two entrances, Snelgrove board above the supers. There will be two queens, the top box has an opened queen cell in it, so I suspect she's in the box, mated or unmated.

I've left the top box alone, moving it as a whole, but wanted to make sure all was well in the bottom.

You may be ok - it's only a prob is if you happen to be inspecting when the queen is out flying!!!

I did exactly this last year and, as I was working, noticed a ball of bees on top of the cover board of the super stack. (The "snelgroved" brood was underneath the supers). When I poked the ball to see what was going on, there was a queen. As I had just made up a nuc with QCs from another hive, I ran this queen in the front door, at the same time cursing myself, certain that nothing would come of it as she was bound to have been damaged by the bees. This queen went on to head a beautiful hive, so docile they are outside the back door, currently with four supers. So don't despair but, if you have to inspect the lower brood, perhaps don't go at the times which are supposed to be most popular for the new queen to be flying out, be as swift as you can and keep your eyes skinned!

Hope it all works out.