Nadir the super with or without QE?

[Etton]

I have nadired a few supers (moved the super from above the brood box to below) and have removed the QE altogether.
Do others do this or is it best to keep the QE on. so that in the spring the queen is definitely in the BB or is there a danger of starvation isolation by keeping a QE on. (If kept on could switch QE back above the BB in early spring otherwise the drones are trapped.)

 

[Erichalfbee]

No QX
Stores in your nadired super will be up in the brood box in a matter of days if there's room and your shallow will be empty

 

[enrico]

But when you go to remove it it will be full of bees and where is the queen? I leave it till spring. Find the queen in the brood box and put the super back over a qe for any brood to emerge ( no drone that early) and they refill with stores.
E

 

[SWEET]

I have nadired a few supers (moved the super from above the brood box to below) and have removed the QE altogether.
Do others do this or is it best to keep the QE on. so that in the spring the queen is definitely in the BB or is there a danger of starvation isolation by keeping a QE on. (If kept on could switch QE back above the BB in early spring otherwise the drones are trapped.)

I've left a super on top of each hive (full of capped stores) and where the bees want it, I'll remove the QE end Oct, simple and saves me uses silly terminology people have to look-up.

 

[enrico]

All hobbies come with their own terminology . It isn't silly it makes life easier when you know what it means. That is like someone watching cricket but not understanding the term LBW!

 

[Norton Caff]

When should I move the supers underneath? I've never been sure of the best timing.

 

[Erichalfbee]

When should I move the supers underneath? I've never been sure of the best timing.

When wasps have abated a little

The only purpose in my mind in moving supers underneath is to get the bees to move uncapped stores up into the brood box.
If you have capped stores in a shallow you want to leave for the bees then keep it on top and take away the QX. The queen will be laying there in the spring but that’s easily dealt with

 

[Erichalfbee]

All hobbies come with their own terminology . It isn't silly it makes life easier when you know what it means. That is like someone watching cricket but not understanding the term LBW!

I’m glad you didn’t quote the Offside Rule

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

When wasps have abated a little

The only purpose in my mind in moving supers underneath is to get the bees to move uncapped stores up into the brood box.
If you have capped stores in a shallow you want to leave for the bees then keep it on top and take away the QX. The queen will be laying there in the spring but that’s easily dealt with

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I've left a super on top of each hive (full of capped stores) and where the bees want it, I'll remove the QE end Oct, simple and saves me uses silly terminology people have to look-up.

No sillier than 'super' and it's amazing how many people get that wrong as well

 

[Popparand]

When wasps have abated a little

The only purpose in my mind in moving supers underneath is to get the bees to move uncapped stores up into the brood box.
If you have capped stores in a shallow you want to leave for the bees then keep it on top and take away the QX. The queen will be laying there in the spring but that’s easily dealt with

So how "easily" do you find the queen in two boxes full of bees? (Serious question; no sarcasm)

 

[Murox]

So how "easily" do you find the queen in two boxes full of bees? (Serious question; no sarcasm)

I can't answer for Erichalfbee, but actually its quite easy. Down to timing really - local weather and knowledge and month/week. Queen always wants to lay UP, bees consume winter stores from bottom UP so she ends up in top box. Many who use double brood might also rotate boxes in their local spring.

 

[SWEET]

No sillier than 'super' and it's amazing how many people get that wrong as well

Not so sure, when you purchase hives the parts are broken down into Roof/Super/BB/Floor etc

We see the same in software engineering (but far more complex) KISS, maybe it's just me.. but the use seems a bit over the top for something so simple.

 

[Erichalfbee]

So how "easily" do you find the queen in two boxes full of bees? (Serious question; no sarcasm)

You don’t need to
Shake the bees into the bottom box and put in a QX

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Not so sure, when you purchase hives the parts are broken down into Roof/Super/BB/Floor etc

when the parts are split up and stacked by size though, you have roofs, floors, deep boxes (which can be used as either brood boxes or supers) shallows, usually used as supers but can also be nadired below a brood box. Simple when you keep to the correct terminology

 

[SWEET]

when the parts are split up and stacked by size though, you have roofs, floors, deep boxes (which can be used as either brood boxes or supers) shallows, usually used as supers but can also be placed below a brood box. Simple when you keep to the correct terminology

Even simpler

The term seems to have appeared around 2010 but started being used from 2012(ish), most of the searches I'm finding on google are people asking what it means (jk).

Cheers

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

editing someone else's post then quoting it is at the best discourteous, but basically dishonest, the usual stunt of a simpleton trying to prove himself to be less of a fool than he actually is.

 

[SWEET]

editing someone else's post then quoting it is at the best discourteous, but basically dishonest, the usual stunt of a simpleton trying to prove himself to be less of a fool than he actually is.

The post informed of the change*

One of the first results when searching;

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/archive/index.php/t-31413.html

All the info I required.

*Our mods have enough work as it is without having to post and justify each action just to satisfy the professional offence takers, hand wringers and snowflakes.

 

[Poly Hive]

Finding a queen in a double is just as hard or easy as finding a queen in a single brood as I split the broods and place them away from the location.

How often do you need to see the queen?

For me its twice in a season at most. Once for swarming, and possibly a 2nd time for either putting her in a nuc or killing her physically. The rest of the season if there is BIAS I have no interest in finding her unless I am doing a demo.

If you leave the excluder in OP there is indeed a risk of isolation starvation. Bad idea.

PH

 

[drex]

I agree, the queen is usually in the top box . Anyway I split the brood boxes and separate them. Within a minute it is obvious which half the queen is not in as the bees become agitated. As above it is actually on rare occasion that I will need to find her.