Splitting brood nest with another frame

[m100]

Somewhere, maybe on here or the other place there was I believe a few weeks back mention of positioning a brood frame clogged full of honey stores to within the brood area. This being done in order to encourage the bees to move brood frame stores out and thus expand the brood nest across more frames. Presumably the cappings would be bruised. I've searched a few times and can't find the posting. Did I imagine it?

On similar lines, what about putting a frame of foundation right in the centre of the brood nest?

Any views on the viability of adopting such approaches rather than the usual approach of frame swapping from the inner to the outer edges that may increase the overall brood area but not necessarily the number of frames with brood on them?

 

[alex]

I recently had a number of honey-filled frames in the brood box. I damaged all the cappings and replaced them at either side of the brood nest. I had to open the colony up again just a few days later (not ideal, but necessary repairs), and they'd already removed practically all the honey stores and the frames were being used for brood rearing again. I don't think it would have helped to have put this frame between the brood nest as any disruption to the pattern of brood would be a nuisance to them.

 

[drex]

At class ( and I believe Ted Hooper says the same), I was told to never split the brood ( by putting broodless frame of whatever between brood frames). Spread the brood by all means - but do not overdo it, was also mentioned.

Danger of isolating brood to result in chiilling or neglect.

More experience views?

 

[oliver90owner]

Only with small colonies will the 'chilling or neglect' be likely - when there are insufficient bees to cover the brood frames properly.

The other main risk is supercedure cells being built in one half or the other and possible swarming from a strong hive.

Regards, RAB

 

[Poly Hive]

Putting a frame of foundation in the middle of the brood box will get a lovely drawn comb full of eggs and larvae on the next visit.

However it needs to be a reasonably strong colony ie at least 8 frames of National brood thickly covered in bees.

Bruising stores combs and inserting them will give the same result but again needs that strength.

The advice given not to do this is to discourage the less experienced from doing things like this.... Splitting the brood nest with a block of 3 frames of foundation..... found at an association demo...

PH

 

[m100]

Thanks, I'll give it a go as it hopefully gives me:

a) another method of regular frame/foundation replacement other than during the spring period
b) a means of saving summer brood box stores for later distribution if the balsam doesn't flow
c) the opportunity to move some frames that have less than perfect anchors for the foundation (chewed through 14x12 at the sides and bottom) out towards the edge of the box

 

[Rosti]

At class ( and I believe Ted Hooper says the same), I was told to never split the brood ( by putting broodless frame of whatever between brood frames). Spread the brood by all means - but do not overdo it, was also mentioned.

Danger of isolating brood to result in chiilling or neglect.

More experience views?

Drex you are right that Hooper talks about manipulating the brood nest rather than stretching it, as previously posted by several here though you can successfully stretch if you do so in a controlled way.

 

[rae]

Putting a frame of foundation in the middle of the brood box will get a lovely drawn comb full of eggs and larvae on the next visit.

As I've just said on another thread, that is exactly what happened to us. We had a colony on 6 frames of 14x12, put a frame of foundation in the middle, all drawn and laid up by the next visit.