Moving From a HTBH to a WBC, Best method

[Ed the Beek]

Hi all

I am planning to move my girls from my top-bar to a WBC hive in the spring, I have 2 questions
1. do I shake swarm or attach my existing top-bars to my new 14x12 frames.
2. when will be the best time to attempt this.

Thank you in advance for your replies.

Ed

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Either way I would say - personally I would go for a complete fresh start and conduct a shook swarm (at least then you'll have nice clean wax in the frames) wait until they're comfortably building up - a good population of bees and plenty of pollen going in. Shook swarm and half a gallon or more of 1:1 syrup to get them drawing.

 

[domino]

+1 for shook swarm

 

[madasafish]

I went from warre to Lang by attaching.

Easy to do...(organised!) .Results excellent 30lb of honey from hive.

Downside? YOU must be organised# and choose good weather.

#Think of everything you will need to do it and plan it out.. list all required tools...etc.

 

[Bosleeu]

I would choose shook swarm as well. Shook swarm is the easiest, and the bees really build up very fast after it.

Somehow it still feels wrong to do away with all that brood but is saves all the faffing and planning and really does work.

Do it once they are building up nicely +1

 

[Ed the Beek]

Thanks

Thank you everyone,

when I started my TBH I bought a NUC and did a crop and chop to get them into the hive I think starting afesh with a shook swarm would be the smart solution. The question still remains, when?

Ed

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Well, don't expect a date
as we said - wait until the colony is building up nicely so you have plenty of fresh bees in the colony - pollen coming in, wether looking favourable. Then do it, considrr giving them some 1:1 syrup to give them a good start wax building

 

[richardbees]

agree shook swarm is your best option.

"When" depends in weather, probably late March......ditto Jenkins and definitely feed with !:1 sugar syrup after

 

[BeeJayBee]

Ah! I'll be different!

The only thing about a shook swarm from a top bar hive is that it might make an awful mess when the frames are shaken hard - the comb could break away from the top bar so you could end up with a good few dead bees, and a lot of very annoyed ones.

I would be tempted to wire up some new frames (no foundation, obviously) and attach the comb containing brood to those frames - using elastic bands and pushing it onto the wires. You'd lose a little brood, but not too much.

I'd crush and strain the frames of stores, and feed back in a feeder, wouldn't matter which sort, and also let them clean up the crushed wax.

If you do decide to do it this way you'd probably need an assistant.

 

[pargyle]

Ah! I'll be different!

The only thing about a shook swarm from a top bar hive is that it might make an awful mess when the frames are shaken hard - the comb could break away from the top bar so you could end up with a good few dead bees, and a lot of very annoyed ones.

I would be tempted to wire up some new frames (no foundation, obviously) and attach the comb containing brood to those frames - using elastic bands and pushing it onto the wires. You'd lose a little brood, but not too much.

I'd crush and strain the frames of stores, and feed back in a feeder, wouldn't matter which sort, and also let them clean up the crushed wax.

If you do decide to do it this way you'd probably need an assistant.

+1 ... Seems a pity to waste all that effort the bees have already put in building their comb ... Even if you make a bit of a mess of it the bees will sort it out and attach it properly to the frames - they are remarkably good at clearing up after you have destroyed their handiwork (either deliverately or accidentally).