Rehoming

[iann41]

Hello,

I have an old National hive that I was given last year. The bees are fine and are a good natured, healthy colony. The brood box is old and serviceable but the frames have not been touched for some time and are stuck down with propolis. They are also old and rotten.

My question is what is the best technique to get the colony onto new national equipment without splitting the old hive apart.

I want to save the old brood box and clean it up but the frames will be junked.

I have a new national hive but the frames are not drawn out.

Many thx Ian

 

[alldigging]

Put one box on the other. Not sure which way round would be best. How rotten is the old box? Will it take the weight of the new box on top? Can it be lifted from the floor?

 

[aberreef]

Are you able to look for and find the queen? If so I'd perform a Demarree AS. The bees will draw out all the new foundation in a few weeks and gradually migrate down from the old brood box.

If everything is totally stuck and impossible to get apart maybe put the new brood box directly over the old. The bees will draw out the foundation and the queen will be keen to lay in the new comb where you'll hopefully be able to find her. Take the old brood box away and leave just the new one on the bottom with a queen excluder, two supers, queen excluder and then the old BB on top. The bees will make emergency queen cells in the top which will be a problem with this idea though.

Maybe using something like beequick (I think that's what it's called) to drive as many bees as possible out of the old BB would be a good idea then sacrifice the brood before the new queens emerge?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Bailey type frame change - new brood box with foundationed frames (or even some drawn frames if you have them) put on top of the old BB - bees will move up into the new box and draw comb,the queen will then follow. Once she's laying in there an you are certain she is on those frames QX under, wait for all the brood in the lower box to emerge then remove and sort out. Shouldn't take too long if there's a bit of a flow.

 

[TOBY-3652]

I couldn't find the queen in one of my colonies.. so I put a new brood box at the side of the old one took each brood frame and shook all the bees off frame then put the brood frame in new box and replaced it all with foundation queen excluder then 2 supers then crown board then roof. 4 days later all the nurse bees were in dox with broob.. I took that away put the 2 supers back on// job done queen in same box with new foundation// old box I will have a look at it in 5 days leave 1 q cell job done

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

the frames have not been touched for some time and are stuck down with propolis. They are also old and rotten.

I think the point is the OP can't/doesn't want split the brood apart by attempting to get the frames out:

what is the best technique to get the colony onto new national equipment without splitting the old hive apart.

I think Bailey change is the best/only option

 

[aberreef]

Bailey type frame change - new brood box with foundationed frames (or even some drawn frames if you have them) put on top of the old BB - bees will move up into the new box and draw comb,the queen will then follow. Once she's laying in there an you are certain she is on those frames QX under, wait for all the brood in the lower box to emerge then remove and sort out. Shouldn't take too long if there's a bit of a flow.

Makes sense