- Joined
- Aug 24, 2009
- Messages
- 2,018
- Reaction score
- 571
- Hive Type
- National
As I do I often get to to pre-swarm season thinking about a number of methods and am always intrigued to try something new.
It would be good to know if anyone has tried/uses this system.
As far as I can understand, it is good in that all the flying bees remain on site, you get 2 new queens as well as the old one as an insurance policy, 2 nucs and honey too, and the added bonus you don't need to find the old queen ...
Commence once Drones are present and flying.
1. In a colony that hasn't got queen cells, take 2 frames of sealed food, 2 unsealed larvae and 2 with emerging brood (6 total) with bees brushed off and place in a new brood chamber. Put new combs - foundation or drawn comb in the old colony, place a queen excluder above and then the new box with the 6 combs. leave for 2 hours.
2. After 2 hours, reverse the brood boxes - set the new box on the floor, then a screen board with 2 side entrances left open and the original colony on top (with the queen in, obviously!). Super the lower box if required.
3. Flying bees enter the normal entrance and queen cells will be started in the bottom box.
4. 10-12 days later, swap the brood boxes once more, adding excluder and supers then screen baord with entrances open, then the bottom box with the queen cells in it.
5. Divide this new top box with a full division board, ensuring queen cells both sides. There is no need to select a cell.
6. Virgin queens will hatch, and mate and start laying in the nucs in due course.
The outcome now is a main colony below with a queen that hasn't stopped laying, an unrestricted brood nest due to the 6 frames being removed at step 1, no loss of flying bees as they all return to the main entrance in step 2. and plenty of honey as the fkying bees have remained on site, and 2 x 5 frame nucs with new mated queens in to expand the apiary/sell/unite at the end of the season.
Time wise - end of April/early May or at least once 4 frames are covered with larvae/brood with some spare.
I admit I have made the process simple, and probably a bit too glossed over some detail for beginners, but it sounds a good one to me.
regards
S
It would be good to know if anyone has tried/uses this system.
As far as I can understand, it is good in that all the flying bees remain on site, you get 2 new queens as well as the old one as an insurance policy, 2 nucs and honey too, and the added bonus you don't need to find the old queen ...
Commence once Drones are present and flying.
1. In a colony that hasn't got queen cells, take 2 frames of sealed food, 2 unsealed larvae and 2 with emerging brood (6 total) with bees brushed off and place in a new brood chamber. Put new combs - foundation or drawn comb in the old colony, place a queen excluder above and then the new box with the 6 combs. leave for 2 hours.
2. After 2 hours, reverse the brood boxes - set the new box on the floor, then a screen board with 2 side entrances left open and the original colony on top (with the queen in, obviously!). Super the lower box if required.
3. Flying bees enter the normal entrance and queen cells will be started in the bottom box.
4. 10-12 days later, swap the brood boxes once more, adding excluder and supers then screen baord with entrances open, then the bottom box with the queen cells in it.
5. Divide this new top box with a full division board, ensuring queen cells both sides. There is no need to select a cell.
6. Virgin queens will hatch, and mate and start laying in the nucs in due course.
The outcome now is a main colony below with a queen that hasn't stopped laying, an unrestricted brood nest due to the 6 frames being removed at step 1, no loss of flying bees as they all return to the main entrance in step 2. and plenty of honey as the fkying bees have remained on site, and 2 x 5 frame nucs with new mated queens in to expand the apiary/sell/unite at the end of the season.
Time wise - end of April/early May or at least once 4 frames are covered with larvae/brood with some spare.
I admit I have made the process simple, and probably a bit too glossed over some detail for beginners, but it sounds a good one to me.
regards
S
Last edited: