Success and failure

[Levitt53]

Well my big hive that was on double brood but I was wanting to get rid of the bottom box because it was old. Last year I could not for the life of me find a queen and it caused me a lot of problems. So I decided with this hive I have got to do it. I smoked the entrance and waited a few minutes the took the top box off and went through it methodically and there she was! I managed to mark her even though lots of other bees climbed on top of the COT. The bottom box had a lot of drone brood in it which is a good sign. I hummed and haa’d about putting a QE between the two and eventually decided to do that. I hope that was a good decision. I’m feeling like a proper beekeeper now just because I could find my queen.

My failure (well not mine actually) but my only other remaining hive is a mess. Drone brood, dead bees in cells, no pattern, not too many bees left. I think I saw multiple eggs in cells so have concluded that I have laying workers. I think I need to shake them out somewhere away from the hives and let the healthy ones beg their was into the hive above. Is this right?

I intend to split the hive above when the time is right as only having one viable colony is not a happy place to be in but progress has been made today.

 

[Millet]

Well my big hive that was on double brood but I was wanting to get rid of the bottom box because it was old. Last year I could not for the life of me find a queen and it caused me a lot of problems. So I decided with this hive I have got to do it. I smoked the entrance and waited a few minutes the took the top box off and went through it methodically and there she was! I managed to mark her even though lots of other bees climbed on top of the COT. The bottom box had a lot of drone brood in it which is a good sign. I hummed and haa’d about putting a QE between the two and eventually decided to do that. I hope that was a good decision. I’m feeling like a proper beekeeper now just because I could find my queen.

My failure (well not mine actually) but my only other remaining hive is a mess. Drone brood, dead bees in cells, no pattern, not too many bees left. I think I saw multiple eggs in cells so have concluded that I have laying workers. I think I need to shake them out somewhere away from the hives and let the healthy ones beg their was into the hive above. Is this right?

I intend to split the hive above when the time is right as only having one viable colony is not a happy place to be in but progress has been made today.

I don't think that was a good decision well i would not have done it anyway, as for the old brood box it is a simple process just to stick all the frames into a new one in the same order and put it back where the old one was and then take the Queen excluder back out, the excluder is to stop the queen from laying in the supers not the brood boxes unless you plan on using the top brood box for collecting honey and the Queen is in the bottom box.
P.s well done on finding the Queen it is hard work in a single box never mind double brood.

 

[Levitt53]

I actually meant the frames were old not the box, sorry did not make myself clear.

 

[Millet]

I actually meant the frames were old not the box, sorry did not make myself clear.

That is easy also, remove the outer old frame they are usually empty especially this time of the year slide the middle ones apart and place a new ones in the middle, when the weather finally warms up and the bees get going i can replace a frame on every second inspection by doing it like that.

 

[enrico]

Alot of beekeepers seem to think that black frames are old and no use. My bees seem to use them with no problems at all but I do try and change mine bit by bit.
Each time I do an inspection I look at the frame at one end. If this needs replacing I take that frame out, move all the other frames down one space and put a new frame in the other end. By doing that I renew one frame each week if it is needed. The outside frames tend not to have brood in so there is little loss to strength and no big upheavel for the bees.
May not work for you but not works for me!
This post crossed with millet who does it slightly differently. Horses for courses and all that.
E

 

[Curly green fingers]

Alot of beekeepers seem to think that black frames are old and no use. My bees seem to use them with no problems at all but I do try and change mine bit by bit.
Each time I do an inspection I look at the frame at one end. If this needs replacing I take that frame out, move all the other frames down one space and put a new frame in the other end. By doing that I renew one frame each week if it is needed. The outside frames tend not to have brood in so there is little loss to strength and no big upheavel for the bees.
May not work for you but not works for me!
This post crossed with millet who does it slightly differently. Horses for courses and all that.
E

Hi. I was wondering if any of you have done a Bailey comb change . putting a new brood on top with foundation in. ? I'm doing it a lot like you two Enrico and millet, I've two new on the outside and 1 next to the brood when the brood has gone I'm going to replace some of the frames. My brood is on frame 1 to 5 . orientation of my hive is being changed a bit at a time . cheers mark.

 

[Millet]

Hi. I was wondering if any of you have done a Bailey comb change . putting a new brood on top with foundation in. ? I'm doing it a lot like you two Enrico and millet, I've two new on the outside and 1 next to the brood when the brood has gone I'm going to replace some of the frames. My brood is on frame 1 to 5 . orientation of my hive is being changed a bit at a time . cheers mark.

You get a good few years out of your brood frames before you have to start changing them,the only reason i started doing it was because my first Nuc of bees came on older dark frames and i was unsure of the age of them, i most likely will not mess about changing any this year as most of them have only been in there 2yr's and the rest where put in at the beginning of last year on two hives when i acquired new queens in nucs i made which where then put in full size hives mid summer, i may start renewing some of the older frames next year if need be but i want 3/4yrs out of them if i can.

 

[Poly Hive]

Define old please?

What a time to be a producer of foundation as it seems if combs are more than a minute old they are disease ridden and the death of honest hard working bees!!

FFS

PH

 

[Levitt53]

I don’t know how old they are as they were the ones I bought my first colony on 2 years ago. They are pretty black but I don’t know their providence at all. I’ve done it now so will stick with it unless it’s wrong, not just could have been done better.

So the laying worker colony - am I right to just shake them out?

 

[Curly green fingers]

Define old please?

What a time to be a producer of foundation as it seems if combs are more than a minute old they are disease ridden and the death of honest hard working bees!!

FFS

PH

Define old . something that has lived for a long time...
Your as old as the woman you feel..

 

[Curly green fingers]

You get a good few years out of your brood frames before you have to start changing them,the only reason i started doing it was because my first Nuc of bees came on older dark frames and i was unsure of the age of them, i most likely will not mess about changing any this year as most of them have only been in there 2yr's and the rest where put in at the beginning of last year on two hives when i acquired new queens in nucs i made which where then put in full size hives mid summer, i may start renewing some of the older frames next year if need be but i want 3/4yrs out of them if i can.

I don't no how old mine are . but I plan to change comb every season or so. It sounds like you've got your handful this seoson.

 

[Poly Hive]

Why for goodness sake? Where is it written that combs are only good for a season?

It takes 8 pounds of honey for a pound of wax and all that work for what?

PH

 

[Millet]

I don’t know how old they are as they were the ones I bought my first colony on 2 years ago. They are pretty black but I don’t know their providence at all. I’ve done it now so will stick with it unless it’s wrong, not just could have been done better.

So the laying worker colony - am I right to just shake them out?

Yes but only if it is warm and the other hive/hives are flying.

That Queen excluder needs taking out though.

 

[Millet]

Define old please?

What a time to be a producer of foundation as it seems if combs are more than a minute old they are disease ridden and the death of honest hard working bees!!

FFS

PH

As Finny says if you can't see daylight through them then they may need changing.. ? . even more so if you do not know the age of black comb.

 

[Levitt53]

Yes but only if it is warm and the other hive/hives are flying.

Thanks

That Queen excluder needs taking out though.

Why though? Is it not effectively like a bailey comb exchange.

 

[Millet]

Why though? Is it not effectively like a bailey comb exchange.

You put it there unsure what to do, it should not be between brood boxes unless you have good reason.
You have Stopped the Queens free movement and you have also locked any drones if any above the excluder,if she is a double brood Queen you have basically left yourself with a single brood box which the Queen may fill quickly and with no room to lay, that may result in early swarm preparations but who am i to say.. we need a more experienced view on this me thinks.

 

[Poly Hive]

If you believe that gentleman then you deserve all you get.

PH

 

[Levitt53]

Ok don’t worry. it’s not really double brood although I explained it as that. I tried to get them to move up last year but they filled that box with honey. There was a bit of brood in the top box when I first opened it this year. I swapped 4 frames of honey for foundation there. I smoked them to ensure she was in the top box mainly to find her but then that is ultimately where I want her to be. I will check it at the weekend and ensure she has room. Yes you are right if it was really double brood but I don’t think it will be. I need to split it anyway in a few weeks as I only have one hive now so need to increase.

 

[Millet]

If you believe that gentleman then you deserve all you get.

PH

Me.. i'm still learning but trying to help when other ignore.. let me know if you aimed that at me please.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I don't no how old mine are . but I plan to change comb every season or so. It sounds like you've got your handful this seoson.

Why? absolutely no need, putting annual undue stress on the bees for no reason, you will be following the foolish mantra chanted by the dark side and shook swarming annually to totally stress out and bugger up your colonies

Ok don’t worry. it’s not really double brood.

But it is - what you are trying to do is squeeze a queen that is happily laying over two boxes back into one at a time of year when the colony is rapidly expanding and demanding more space - surefire way of triggering premature swarming.