more demaree help pls (apols)

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thanks Steve

i wondered if it had been a mistake to move all brood up...one colony i demareed on 14/4 started with 11 frames in UBB and has had 18 frames moved up since then (plus a 2 frame nuc taken out)

i probably didnt add supers fast enough as 3 were nearly full for a week or so before i added a 4th
 
I have had DB colonies where the Q has laid up some 14 - 18 frames of brood. It is at this stage irrelevant of room or stores that I Demaree, before I see any signs of QC's. I then continue on a rolling Demaree weekly ( a lot of work dismantling all the time). Depending on many factors at some stage I may decide to revert the colony back to near normal and make up a nuc with the older Q. If I see QC in the LBB then it is time to split /make up a nuc as their minds are set, one reason to clip to save losing half the colony.

Obviously with DB one can't move all the brood so I mainly move as much sealed as possible as these will vacate cells first, I then place the rest of the brood in one BB and remove the second. If the Q looks to be continuing to outlay the rotation then the second BB goes back on ( I store it above the CB in case). As mentioned if QC's appear n the LBB then act on another swarm control method.
 
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Sometimes it works to plan and one can regularly continue some rotation, a lot will depend on Q prolificacy. My last real success was rotating 3 up 3 down on weekly basis during a summer flow. I then reassembled the colony as normal and they decided to replace her late summer, not risking a swarm I simply make up a nuc with the plan to over winter the old Q once the replacement is laying.

At some stage with a Demeree the Q will need replacing as the reason for a Demeree is to pre-empt swarming and often of prolifc Q's, though a she ages they may or will decide to ship her out.
 
thanks hemo....helpful stuff.

i wonder what percentage of colonies people keep stay together, intact and not split for a season...i seem to have a few now which are requeening and hoping they will be strong enough for summer
 
Depends on their swarm tendency, swarmy bees are never happy so one can't win.
 
thanks hemo....helpful stuff.

i wonder what percentage of colonies people keep stay together, intact and not split for a season...i seem to have a few now which are requeening and hoping they will be strong enough for summer
Young, first year queens go well.
 

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