Macdee’s Demaree

[Curly green finger's]

No resemblance at all to a Demarree, and that bit with the plastic is just a botch to follow a Cloake procedure but without a board
You're not preempting or supressing the urge to swarm, you're just imprisoning the queen to make sure she can't fly off. then harvesting either swarm cells or emergency queen cells

In your opinion then I would be better following the Demarree you have put on here.

Would the method work that I've put on here??
If not can you explain why.
Cheers

 

[Etton]

'the objective is to separate the queen well away from the brood (hence the shallows in between)' . Does it matter if the shallows are just empty drawn comb, as my proposed demaree is currently double brood with no shallows on yet?

 

[Erichalfbee]

'the objective is to separate the queen well away from the brood (hence the shallows in between)' . Does it matter if the shallows are just empty drawn comb, as my proposed demaree is currently double brood with no shallows on yet?

Then don’t Demaree. Wait till they make swarm cells then split. You need those shallows to be full of bees.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

In your opinion then I would be better following the Demarree you have put on here.

Would the method work that I've put on here??
If not can you explain why.
Cheers

You would be better following the Demarree method if you intend to Demarree.

as for explaining my reasons as opposed to the method you posted - not really worth the effort, as I said, enclosing the queen between two QX's isn't really swarm prevention. it's just a mishmash put together by someone who is trying to reinvent the wheel
........only an improved square version

 

[Curly green finger's]

Thanks emyr, I've had to do one already I'm checking the top brood box tomorrow.

I've used two supers as a sandwich in between brood boxes,
Could you use one super? Or a brood box?

Ive allso got to Demarree ceri Morgans bee's a nuc from last May they have two supers on so far and have 10 frames of solid brood.
Im following your method and im hoping to get some home reared queen's for nucs. Ill
Possibly re unite or have two colonys after the Demarree
The process seams straight forward enough.
Thanks for your reply as always.

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[jenkinsbrynmair]

I've used two supers as a sandwich in between brood boxes,
Could you use one super? Or a brood box?

I've used one super before now but what I've found is that the queens I have have pretty strong pheromone levels so although the Demarree works, if you are doing it to make increase you seldom get them drawing QC's in the top box, although my 'Demaree board' (for want of a better word) with it's reduced QX area does help decrease the pheromone levels in the top box.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I've used one super before now but what I've found is that the queens I have have pretty strong pheromone levels so although the Demarree works, if you are doing it to make increase you seldom get them drawing QC's in the top box, although my 'Demaree board' (for want of a better word) with it's reduced QX area does help decrease the pheromone levels in the top box.

I'm going to try it with a brood box in the middle and was wondering if I used a crown board but cut out say 200mm x200mm in the middle for the qx part.
Im wanting to get them to make as many qc as possible.
What do you think?

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[deemann1]

, although my 'Demaree board' (for want of a better word) with it's reduced QX area does help decrease the pheromone levels in the top box.

This demaree board you use , how long can you leave it on parent colony when making increase ??

 

[Swarm]

You can leave it there all season.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'm going to try it with a brood box in the middle and was wondering if I used a crown board but cut out say 200mm x200mm in the middle for the qx part.
Im wanting to get them to make as many qc as possible.
What do you think?

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Here's one I prepared earlier

 

[Curly green finger's]

Here's one I prepared earlier

View attachment 18014

View attachment 18015

View attachment 18016

Cheers that's give me something to do maybe a door step to.. A small one without showing screws.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

maybe a door step to.. A small one

Believe you me - they don't need one - landing boards are for the benefit of the beekeeper not the bees

 

[Curly green finger's]

Believe you me - they don't need one - landing boards are for the benefit of the beekeeper not the bees

Well maybe, I still like to see them take off from one.
I suppose I could use honey frames in the supers/brood box as a pheromone suppressant in between both brood boxes.

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[deemann1]

So you don't have to reverse entrance to bottom box

 

[Swarm]

So you don't have to reverse entrance to bottom box

It's only there to let drones out, essentially they are still one colony.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

So you don't have to reverse entrance to bottom box

No - I've had, in the past two queens working happily (missed QC), one in the top box, one in the bottom, entrances facing the same way and no issues - no need for any 'uniting' when one queen was taken out either - it was just like a perfect supersedure.

 

[Courty]

I’m using a similar board but the extra entrance can be closed.
My understanding is that the entrance allows drones to get out whereas a simple queen excluded would prevent this. The entrance is on the same side of the hive as the main entrance as the bees can reorientation to the lower one easier than if it was at the back or side, once removed.
This type of board reduces queen pheromones more than a queen excluder and increases the urge to make queen cells.

Have I understood this properly?

The one thing I am not sure about....if queen cells are sealed in the top box, and or allowed to emerge and mate etc, how confident can I be that the bees won’t swarm with the original queen in the lower box?

Assuming there are no queen cells in the lower box of course.

Thanks

Courty

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

This type of board reduces queen pheromones more than a queen excluder and increases the urge to make queen cells.

Have I understood this properly?

Yes

The one thing I am not sure about....if queen cells are sealed in the top box, and or allowed to emerge and mate etc, how confident can I be that the bees won’t swarm with the original queen in the lower box?

Assuming there are no queen cells in the lower box of course.

Thanks

Courty

Hasn't happened to me yet, and I've done it a few times
In fact, if I'm using it to make nucs, I try not to remove QC's until they are sealed

 

[Courty]

Thank you. On your last point, I think I have just leaned that in setting up a nuc with a frame with two unsealed Q cells next to each other. Next time I checked one had completely vanished leaving one capped. It would have been more prudent to wait until they were sealed on the grounds that the nuc may not have given them the amount of feed and attention they would have received from the full hive. Also I’d have known everything up to that point was ok as far as the bees were concerned.
It’s an interesting learning experience so far. Thanks for your helpful input.

Courty

 

[deemann1]

Great information here thanks Jenkins
I made up a few of these boards this morning.
I have set 2 up on colonies with 8 frames of brood
Moving 4 frames up top with the rest of top box dummy boarded to fill space.
Replace brood frames with 3 drawn and 1 foundation each .planning on making nucs if queen cells are drawn