Overwintering a double brood?

[tindam188]

I have read and had much advice on overwintering a hive... But never any additional tips for overwintering a double or brood and a half. Is it ok to overwinter a double brood??

The only other point would be when you are treating with oxalic do you have to change your measurements or do you take one level off and do level below??

Thanks in advance

 

[Haughton Honey]

I have read and had much advice on overwintering a hive... But never any additional tips for overwintering a double or brood and a half. Is it ok to overwinter a double brood??

The only other point would be when you are treating with oxalic do you have to change your measurements or do you take one level off and do level below??

Thanks in advance

There's no problem over-wintering double brood at all - they just have more stores for winter (some of which MAY need removing come the spring).

You'll find in most cases that the brood nest moves higher in to the hive over winter and that the bottom box can very often be rotated come March.

Personally, I'd keep your oxalic dosage the same.

 

[Flatters]

I had a colony on double BB last year. Went through the winter well. I did the standard OA dosage (they are clustered when you do the treatment so the dose gets administered as it should).

Stayed on double BB all through this year, which was harder than a single but they are a very strong colony and soon filled up the boxes. I am doing the Apiguard treatment and count is very low (but my mites could be immune to the treatment, who knows?)

 

[MrB]

I had a colony on double BB last year. Went through the winter well. I did the standard OA dosage (they are clustered when you do the treatment so the dose gets administered as it should).

so did you treat the top BB only?

 

[Flatters]

The bees in winter are very different to how you see them in summer. They form a tight cluster just like when they are in a tree after swarming but probably fewer in number than a full sized swarm. This means that there is no real split between the top BB and the bottom one (assuming you have the frames lined up which you should have.) Because they are just one mass you can treat following the standard treatment.

Treatment of OA should be as quick and unobtrussive as possible with very little disturbance. Open the lid, remove the insulation and crown board. Use a torch to see the seams that need treating, trickle in the dose of OA in each seam and then close up. 5 minutes maximum per hive and definitely no splitting of brood boxes or pulling out frames.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

As flatters writes, with oxalic trickling, you treat the seams of bees, not the number of frames. Lid off, Trickle trickle trickle. Lid on. Job done. very quick indeed.

 

[RoofTops]

Whatever you do, don't try and split a double brood for OA treatment. I tried it once - angry bees everywhere and much disturbance.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Whatever you do, don't try and split a double brood for OA treatment. I tried it once - angry bees everywhere and much disturbance.

I guess a problem arises if on brood and a half with frames not lining up? In that case would you consider taking off the top box if no sign of them?

 

[tindam188]

you say not to separate the two brood boxes yet on the sticky on the main section it says that you should take it apart and treat the bottom before treating the top

 

[sugarbush]

In the US everybody winters in a double with the exception of the deep south. You can't even buy a hive kit without it coming with two brood boxes.

I would love to winter on a single, but the bees would never make it the winter. Our climates I couldn't imagine are all the different, Can't figure the difference in wintering?

 

[Hebeegeebee]

you say not to separate the two brood boxes yet on the sticky on the main section it says that you should take it apart and treat the bottom before treating the top

I personally don't think splitting the brood is adviseable in winter - or taking the top box off even if the bees are down below.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

In the US everybody winters in a double with the exception of the deep south. You can't even buy a hive kit without it coming with two brood boxes.

I would love to winter on a single, but the bees would never make it the winter. Our climates I couldn't imagine are all the different, Can't figure the difference in wintering?

Is Oxalic a big thing in the US, and if so do folks worry about splitting the brood if in near freezing temperatures?

BTW (and perhaps a topic for another thread) - hope all well floodwise with you

 

[sugarbush]

Is Oxalic a big thing in the US, and if so do folks worry about splitting the brood if in near freezing temperatures?

BTW (and perhaps a topic for another thread) - hope all well floodwise with you

Oxsalic is not legal here for use in beehives, some people do use it though, quietly. I have never used it, but if I did, splitting the brood boxes would not have even occurred to me, we would not for api-guard or any other treatment that I could think of and it is vapor so I think it will get where it needs to.

 

[newportbuzz]

i think you are on about using the vapour not the drissle method.
the drissle method used the oxaylic in a solution poured on the bees when there is no brood.
not sure about the vapour way but i think its a multiple treatment thing and you sublime the crystals into the hive after first sealing it up.

Oxsalic is not legal here for use in beehives, some people do use it though, quietly. I have never used it, but if I did, splitting the brood boxes would not have even occurred to me, we would not for api-guard or any other treatment that I could think of and it is vapor so I think it will get where it needs to.