Removing nadired boxes

[Etton]

Next weekend is set to be 12-14c here in East Yorks.
I am planning to remove my nadired boxes, hopefully not too many in the nadired box and not clustered down.
Any tips?

(11c tomorrow so will heft & check all the fondant levels)

 

[Erichalfbee]

Move hive aside. New floor in place. Move brood over.Take super away.
Clean floor of debris and use this on the next one. Torch quickly if you're fussy

 

[Etton]

Thanks, handy tips

 

[Popparand]

Move hive aside. New floor in place. Move brood over.Take super away.
Clean floor of debris and use this on the next one. Torch quickly if you're fussy

Take super away?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Take super away?

The nadired one. It’s probably empty

 

[Popparand]

Would you not leave it on top of the old brood box if you wanted to go brood and a half?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Would you not leave it on top of the old brood box if you wanted to go brood and a half?

Yes

 

[enrico]

Would you not leave it on top of the old brood box if you wanted to go brood and a half?

I never advise brood and a half. Double brood is easier, but.....on brood and a half I always leave the half on the bottom and never bother checking it for queen cells!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Would you not leave it on top of the old brood box if you wanted to go brood and a half?

but why would anyone want to?
If you think they need more space, go double brood

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I've a colony in 14 x12 over a nadired super that are only venturing out over the last few days. I'll be taking the nadir boxes out 'ere long.

 

[thorn]

it's an easy two man job. One lifts the brood box off the nadired box, the other whips the nadir away.

 

[StephenT]

I’m planning to do the same on one of my hives this weekend after being wisely cautioned against doing it a few weeks back. Looking at it under the floor using a phone camera, I cannot see any bees there unlike the single broods I have where the bees are clearly spread across a number of frames. If there does turn out to be some brood in the nadired super, I don’t want to leave it on for them to go to brood and a half. What the best thing to do in that case? Thanks.

 

[enrico]

it's an easy two man job. One lifts the brood box off the nadired box, the other whips the nadir away.

Be a little careful with this. Tried it quickly once and the main cluster of bees was half and half. I had a shallow box half full of bees and a deep box half full of bees. Suggest a peek before you remove the bottom box!
E

 

[enrico]

I’m planning to do the same on one of my hives this weekend after being wisely cautioned against doing it a few weeks back. Looking at it under the floor using a phone camera, I cannot see any bees there unlike the single broods I have where the bees are clearly spread across a number of frames. If there does turn out to be some brood in the nadired super, I don’t want to leave it on for them to go to brood and a half. What the best thing to do in that case? Thanks.

Leave it till spring. Put a qe between the boxes make sure the queen is in the brood box at the bottom. Do this before drones. Let any worker brood emerge and leave on as a normal super.

 

[user 819]

KISS is the best option, just as Eric has put it.
Why fiddle when it isn't absolutely necessary.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I've a colony in 14 x12 over a nadired super that are only venturing out over the last few days. I'll be taking the nadir boxes out 'ere long.

I've reduced a double today they are all in the bottom box loads of stores down there, the top box has pollen and capped honey.
They have stayed down there most of the winter.
They didn't need the extra space or stores.
How they all differ.

 

[North End Bees]

it's an easy two man job. One lifts the brood box off the nadired box, the other whips the nadir away.

Got to have long arms if you're social distancing like the rest of us

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Got to have long arms if you're social distancing like the rest of us

easy enough - person one lifts up the BB, runs away a few yards, person two nips in, sanitises the area, removes the nadir, cleans the floor, sanitises the area again then thins out for person one to come back in and drop BB on floor

 

[thorn]

Got to have long arms if you're social distancing like the rest of us

This year I think the lifter will have to take a step to one side before the shifter swoops in from the other side and takes the nadir.

 

[Popparand]

I decided to go brood and a half this year because last year the bees took off like crazy in early April and swarmed even though I kept tearing down swarm cells. I have been told by an experienced bee farmer that 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. He swears by it, but I am sure many beekeepers will disagree. There are as many ways of doing everything in beekeeping (or more) as there are beekeepers!