Planning for '11

[Queens59]

OK, next Spring (yes I know I'm early, but I have nothing better to do)...

I want to move from standard WBC BB to 14x12, and have been reading up on shook swarming...it seems excessive and worries me.

Or, I put the 14x12 under/over the BB and let them move...

Come on, a chance to lecture me on worrying too far in advance...tell me off for anthropomorphising my bees...and lots more I am sure I haven't thought of...

 

[Black Comb]

When I moved from national to l/s (this spring) at the suggestion of Polyhive I made a conversion board with relevant size hole and put the national b/b under and let them move up. Then when HM was laying and in the upper box put on QE and about 3 weeks later took off the national box with no loss of brood.

Hive 1 no problems
Hive 2 made queen cells in the lower box after I put on the QE but I used these to increase (put them straight into l/s box - wired the national frame to l/s to bar).

I have 2 more to do this coming spring and will try shook swarm.
(a) because it's less faffing and
(b) because I've never done one before so want to see how it goes. Many experienced beeks recommend it.

Hope this helps.

 

[darren64]

ok, next spring (yes i know i'm early, but i have nothing better to do)...

I want to move from standard wbc bb to 14x12, and have been reading up on shook swarming...it seems excessive and worries me.

Or, i put the 14x12 under/over the bb and let them move...

Come on, a chance to lecture me on worrying too far in advance...tell me off for anthropomorphising my bees...and lots more i am sure i haven't thought of...

what??

 

[PaleoPerson]

When I moved from national to l/s (this spring) at the suggestion of Polyhive I made a conversion board with relevant size hole and put the national b/b under and let them move up. Then when HM was laying and in the upper box put on QE and about 3 weeks later took off the national box with no loss of brood.

Hive 1 no problems
Hive 2 made queen cells in the lower box after I put on the QE but I used these to increase (put them straight into l/s box - wired the national frame to l/s to bar).

I have 2 more to do this coming spring and will try shook swarm.
(a) because it's less faffing and
(b) because I've never done one before so want to see how it goes. Many experienced beeks recommend it.

Although I did not have the qc problem, but sounds like you are doing exactly the same as me.

I will try some shook swarm into L/s next spring to gain the experience.

 

[MuswellMetro]

what??

don't worry, i thing Queen59 is a teacher, they like long words

 

[winmag270]

what??

an·thro·po·mor·phism (nthr-p-môrfzm)
n.
Attribution of human motivation, characteristics, or behavior to inanimate objects, animals, or natural phenomena.



clear as mud really

 

[beeboybee]

went from standard BB to 12 x 14 this year worked well for me.
put new 12 x 14 brood and frames ontop of standard brood box and let them get on with it.
they drew out the frames in about a week and started using them straight away i left the original brrod box underneath for about 5 weeks then removed it.
there was still some stores and pollen in the original frames so i used these to bulk out a small NUC that i was putting in a standard brood box.

probably not 100% right way to do this but it has worked for me.

much prefer the 12 x 14 frames as well

 

[MuswellMetro]

much prefer the 12 x 14 frames as well

well at least you will have strong wrists


Yes for bees, i think 14x12 is better, but for my back, i may have to go for ROSE OSB in a few years

 

[Queens59]

don't worry, i thing Queen59 is a teacher, they like long words

Was a teacher I'm afraid - thanks to a mad anaesthetist...nah, just fate hates me.

And yes the long word...means giving things without a voice feelings/emotions similar to ours. Like imagining the bees sat around playing cards, complaining about the drafts with glasses of honey...

 

[Skyhook]

...tell me off for anthropomorphising my bees...

I never anthropomorphise my bees- they find it patronising.

 

[Queens59]

 

[Hebeegeebee]

I don't see the need for a shook swarm in this instance - I would do as beeboybee did. Easy.

 

[margob99]

Does this sound like a crazy idea for converting from brood and a half to 14x12:

In Spring, simply move the existing standard frames from the National brood box into the 14x12, with all the bees on it.

Yes, I know the frames are not as deep as the 14x12, but surely all that will happen is that the bees will build wild drone-comb at the bottom of each frame - so it becomes a kind of drone-separation-varroa-management control device ... if you see what I mean.

 

[Queens59]

That's an idea I guess, and gradually work them out over the season. I just felt that shook transfers are a bit too violent for my liking...

 

[Black Comb]

Well the RBI goes on about it every time he gives a talk.
A good procedure to have in your amoury esp. if you have heavy varroa early in the season.

Anyway, until I've done a couple I won't know will I.

 

[Queens59]

Nope - learn by doing is usually best...I'm just a chicken!

 

[Marvin]

an·thro·po·mor·phism (nthr-p-môrfzm)
n.
Attribution of human motivation, characteristics, or behavior to inanimate objects, animals, or natural phenomena.

behaviour
behaviour
behaviour...


0/10 Write it out one hundred times and see me after class.

 

[Queens59]

Oy, you knicked my line!!

 

[tonybloke]

I never anthropomorphise my bees- they find it patronising.