splits in spring

[Murox]

yes, keep the nucs bursting with bees, add sealed brood frame(s) to bolster it. Also only expand the number of frames incrementally, so if you start with say 2 frames of BIS + new queen only add one other empty frame to begin with, keep the colony "tight", they tend to build up more quickly. If your lucky you won't "have to" use one nucleus as a donor.

 

[Poly Hive]

I have invested in 4 double brood nucs which take a total of 12 frames.

I am planning on buying roofs and floors for the four double brood boxes to enable taking 8 nucs through the winter.

I intend using these as brood producers for my "nuckery" which I am building up this season to twenty to twenty five. By working the nucs as a separate unit I will avoid hitting the production colonies.

I will combine this with a number of mini nucs to supply queens later in the season and I will play with taking some through the winter.

Plan A is of course subject to change....

PH

 

[Cuckmere couple]

thanks....as ever with beekeeping sooo many permutations

hmm...we will try to adopt some of the above with our 3 colonies

as they are national single brood boxes, i wonder how many splits we could reasonably do and still get honey production

 

[Poly Hive]

Sorry but single brood nats? Really?

If the queens are not pure Amm, personally I would be having serious thoughts about the performance you are getting. That's being honest. Actually that's unfair to Amm as I have had colonies that could work doubles. So again look to the queens.

PH

 

[Murox]

Think about timing of flows and pollen too, maybe feed with syrup and pollen as well.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

thanks Murox

and thanks Poly H too

i tried to go to double brood last year but added the additional brood boxes a bit late....but i did wait until the upper box was full, then added the second....they drew comb but never really used

given that double brood colonies end up as a cluster in a single box post winter, is it not a similar size at the start of the spring etc?

 

[Murox]

This may be worth a read http://www.wbka.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Simple-methods-of-making-Increase-Final-reduced1.pdf I am not convinced by everything written but it does have a lot of info and food for thought in it.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

excellent

am reading it

Cambletown eh

beautiful

 

[madasafish]

One N Staffs member went from 6 hives to 35 nucs through splits in last year. How many survive winter? Don't know

 

[drex]

thanks....as ever with beekeeping sooo many permutations

hmm...we will try to adopt some of the above with our 3 colonies

as they are national single brood boxes, i wonder how many splits we could reasonably do and still get honey production

Increasing number of colonies or using them to rear queens etc, comes at a price. Your harvest will take a knock

 

[Beefriendly]

i tried to go to double brood last year but added the additional brood boxes a bit late....

Going to double brood depends on the queens fecundity. If she can't lay 12-16+ frames of brood then there is no point doing this.
It's a queen assessment judgement on your part, not a case of beekeeper deciding "Oh I shall go double brood this season".

 

[Cuckmere couple]

thanks BF....yes...our buckfast queen (trying one out) was v prolific compared to our other two colonies

so many damn variables....sustains the interest despite feeling overwhelmed by options and variables at times

 

[Poly Hive]

Indeed yes mine are (mostly) in the one box though of course there is that one (the awkward brigade member) which is in both.

I find that mine start off in the top box and work down until all 20 combs are in use. I super on 8 and keep working the BB's until they are full with brood. Makes for a good strong colony.

PH

 

[Beefriendly]

thanks BF....yes...our buckfast queen (trying one out) was v prolific compared to our other two colonies

so many damn variables....sustains the interest despite feeling overwhelmed by options and variables at times

Common sense, just not one management regime for every hive, they are all different.
If it's any help, with a prolific queen, in spring they can be reluctant to lay in the lower brood box (cooler, due to being near an open mesh floor)....keep moving frames of brood down and replacing with drawn empty frames so she has room to lay. As the year warms up she will lay in both (usually....).

 

[Cuckmere couple]

very helfpul suggestion yes....and bees will move down to keep the brood warm whilst she continues to lay above... v good

 

[For want of a better word]

A quick look at the Rose Hive method of making increase... it would be another option.
Paired nucs... 2 queens... loads of bees to shake off for more nucs from the "supers" above the qx... in fact a 2 queen system.
Works well with our Cornish Amm... I have no idea what problems a (claimed) super productive Ferrari mongrel/hybrid would give you?