Snelgrove board

[Susan1]

I would like to do an AS using the Snelgrove board. I can never find the queen so could I have one brood chamber then queen excluder then super then the Snelgrove board. Then another brood box with the entrance at back or side opened QX super and crown board and roof.
I guess the queen could be in either brood chamber so the one without the would have the queen cells open and I would tear down the queen cells in the one that has eggs after three days.

 

[melias]

You shouldn't get Queen cells in the brood box that has eggs. That will be the one with the queen. Are you trying to produce a second colony, or do you want to reunite?

 

[Susan1]

I would like to reunite. The colony is on double brood and has two almost full supers. But today I found lots 8+ sealed queen cells in top brood box. I took most if not all of these away. but I did not have time to do the bottom brood box. I have read somewhere that you can do an AS with a Snelgrove board but I can never find the queen

 

[melias]

You should be fine. Bottom brood box should have queen and will have received flying bees from top bb. I don't bother doing all the various door opening and closing onthe board and haven't had any problems.

Keep a close eye on stores in the top BV, because it will be initially be depleted of foragers.

 

[galileo]

If Q is in the top box when you reorganise, and the foragers migrate to the bottom, she'll tear down any QCs remaining up there, but if she's in the bottom box, with brood, and flying bees, both boxes will be making QCs rapidly, I think, and you could still end up losing a swarm. Essentially, you need to separate the Q from either the brood OR the field bees, and I'm afraid I'm not seeing how you're going to do that unless by luck. Am I missing something silly?

 

[Ben90]

Speaking of Snelgrove boards, is it okay to put my super BENEATH the board with the second brood box still on top? Will they still recognise each other's scents or will the super make them too detached for an easy reunification later on?

 

[nonstandard]

Susan if you search for WBKA and snelgrove it brings up a pdf that explains various methods of using the snelgrove board including how to use it when you cannot find the queen.

 

[galileo]

Super beneath board is the usual way Ben, should be no problem.

 

[RogueDrone]

If you cannot find the queen I would go like this.bottom box 1 eegs 1 frame sealed brood, remove all bees. supper snelgrove top BB with all remaining brood and Queen,QX then final supper.

Destroy all QC's.

As you are on double brood you will have to move the frames around and maybe take replace some with drawn comb/ foundation to give laying space.
The bottom box will fill Take the foragers and they will raise emergency queen, top box will will have old queen, and continue laying.

By using the doors you can bleed the bees down stairs to increase numbers and hence crop. this also keeps numbers down in top box and old queen should not swarm.

Colin

 

[Mellifera397]

Speaking of Snelgrove boards, is it okay to put my super BENEATH the board with the second brood box still on top? Will they still recognise each other's scents or will the super make them too detached for an easy reunification later on?

That is what you should do, I have been told that without a super in between the brood chambers the snelgrove techniques don't work. I did my own colony on monday and they are organised

Roof
BB A
Snelgrove Board
Super
Queen excluder
BB B
Floor

Hope this helps,

M

 

[Finman]

.
Your hive is so big that Snelgrove board is uncomfortable.

If you have 2 almost full super, you should have 2 more almost empty supers.


Now move the whole hive 2 metres.
Put a foundation hive into old site.
Then one brood frames there which has those queen cells.

When half of bees will be moved to foundation hive, it would be easier to find the queen.

.Keep hurry. Swarm may leave when ever if queen cells are capped. Unless it is not allready gone.
.
.

 

[drstitson]

as finman says - sealed QCs = colony has likely swarmed. so you won't find the queen. best you can do is give each box 1 QC and let nature take it's course.

Using a combination of entrances it'll be possible to balance the two colonies.

 

[Susan1]

Thank you for all the replies I will read through them and hopefully get them sorted,

 

[susbees]

as finman says - sealed QCs = colony has likely swarmed. so you won't find the queen. best you can do is give each box 1 QC and let nature take it's course.

Not my experience week before last - out of five colonies with sealed cells (checks delayed due to visitor...) four still had the marked queen present and some had a few eggs too...