Removing nadired boxes

[Boston Bees]

if you go brood and a half any swarm cells will be on the bottom of the top box. So instead of doing a complete inspection of the the brood every time you can simply look at the underside of the half and remove any swarm cells you see.

Sorry, I run B+1/2 on several colonies and this is not correct.

It is true that if there are swarm cells anywhere in the colony then it is highly likely (though not certain) that at least one of them will be on the underside of the top frames. But they won't just be there - bees don't work like that. If there are swarm cells on the underside of the top box there will also be one or more hidden elsewhere. So just ripping down the cells on the bottom of the frames won't stop swarming in most cases - you will need to take out the frames one by one and find the other cells.

Anyway, just ripping down swarm cells isn't a swarm control strategy on its own, but that's a whole other thread.

I am unwinding all my B+1/2 colonies this year and moving to single brood, double brood or nuc towers, as I find the combination of two different sizes of frame with brood in to be just too much of a hassle, but that's just me.

 

[The Poot]

Sorry, I run B+1/2 on several colonies and this is not correct.

It is true that if there are swarm cells anywhere in the colony then it is highly likely (though not certain) that at least one of them will be on the underside of the top frames. But they won't just be there - bees don't work like that. If there are swarm cells on the underside of the top box there will also be one or more hidden elsewhere. So just ripping down the cells on the bottom of the frames won't stop swarming in most cases - you will need to take out the frames one by one and find the other cells.

Anyway, just ripping down swarm cells isn't a swarm control strategy on its own, but that's a whole other thread.

I am unwinding all my B+1/2 colonies this year and moving to single brood, double brood or nuc towers, as I find the combination of two different sizes of frame with brood in to be just too much of a hassle, but that's just me.

It’s not just you

 

[user 819]

A brood and a half beekeeping myth, my bees when I have had them on them haven't read the same myth's. Like many other have tried it and now use D/B.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Brood and a half is never the answer to anything unless the question was 'describe a beekeeping abortion in four words'
The same as just ripping down all the QC's and hoping for the best can never be called swarm control.

 

[drdrday]

Same here with regard to QCs. I run mine on double brood and they have yet to produce a QC at the bottom of the top box. Mine seem to like sneaking them in the side of a frame, top and bottom box

 

[user 819]

Yes sneakily tucked away at the side of wax/frame is one they like to try and get away with.

 

[Swarm]

But they will always be somewhere in the top so only need inspect that box until you find cells, then look right through.