- Joined
- Jun 14, 2023
- Messages
- 362
- Reaction score
- 386
- Location
- Surrey, England
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 14
I appreciate this subject is one of the more historically popular in this forum. Selfishly, I'd like to grab the opportunity to ask the more experienced beekeepers here, and have my own particular questions answered.
After 14 months of beekeeping, I've experimented with no QE and double brood box setups. I also inherited colonies which I overwintered on brood-and-a-half.
My requirements:
For me, this option created a big mess. Brood all over the place, which meant overly long inspections.
It also had the effect of minimising my honey production, as the Honey was mixed in with brood and dotted around the entire hive.
This method also meant the colony sometimes moved the brood nest up the hive, so the bottom deep became almost empty.
I tried this method as I suspected it would minimise swarming. But, I discovered that if a colony wants to swarm, it's because it's strong and healthy, not so much because it's stressed by less space. It was the colonies that overwintered on Double deeps that wanted to swarm, in the spring, and, the signs were glaringly obvious.
I appreciate there are skilled beekeepers who run this system with success, it's just not for me.
Double deep
This would be my 2nd choice. Having the same size frames (as appose to brood and a half) makes a huge difference, particularly when it comes to splits or boosting a colony using a resource hive.
The only draw backs are the extra time to do a full inspection when compared to smaller brood configurations, and the amount of work the bees must do to fill a double brood box, with what could otherwise be harvestable honey.
Brood and a half
This was the configuration recommended to me when I started.
All the colonies I overwintered on this format survived very well, but left me with spring splits in shallow frames. Which is a messy pain to deal with, and means i still have colonies with a mix of deep and shallow frames in a deep. This format also entails more inspection time than a smaller format.
14 x 12
I'm not going to consider this as it would entail me buying a load of new kit, and the frame format wouldn't be compatible with my existing deep and shallow kit.
Single (deep)
With my wealth of 14 months experience, this is the format I'm moving towards.
It professes to give the shortest inspection times, cheapest and most effective mite treatment opportunity and minimises inspection times.
I have some nervousness, which I hope more experienced beekeepers can help me with:
Overwintering: I'm worried about the smaller space of a single deep being enough for both food and brood. What method/approach can I use to set the colonies up for winter in the best way?
Dearth: Between spring, summer and autumn flows, it must be tempting to take all stores above the QE. What approach do you take in deciding how much and when to leave.
Swarm impulse: I'm suspicious it was the big brood space configurations I used over winter, that grew my big colonies in autumn so they were too large, which then increased their propensity to swarm in the spring. What do think about this?
Brood space: those of you with poly equipment - does poly provide more opportunity for brood space in a single box, as brood can go to the wall?
Thank you.
After 14 months of beekeeping, I've experimented with no QE and double brood box setups. I also inherited colonies which I overwintered on brood-and-a-half.
My requirements:
- Minimised inspection times.
- Effective swarm management.
- Successful overwintering.
- Maximised honey production.
- Minimum no. boxes to carry home.
- Minimised mite treatment costs.
- National Abelo poly equipment.
- All colonies get 1 inspection per week.
- An out apiray, 15 mins walking distance.
- I don't have a vehicle.
- 15 colonies.
For me, this option created a big mess. Brood all over the place, which meant overly long inspections.
It also had the effect of minimising my honey production, as the Honey was mixed in with brood and dotted around the entire hive.
This method also meant the colony sometimes moved the brood nest up the hive, so the bottom deep became almost empty.
I tried this method as I suspected it would minimise swarming. But, I discovered that if a colony wants to swarm, it's because it's strong and healthy, not so much because it's stressed by less space. It was the colonies that overwintered on Double deeps that wanted to swarm, in the spring, and, the signs were glaringly obvious.
I appreciate there are skilled beekeepers who run this system with success, it's just not for me.
Double deep
This would be my 2nd choice. Having the same size frames (as appose to brood and a half) makes a huge difference, particularly when it comes to splits or boosting a colony using a resource hive.
The only draw backs are the extra time to do a full inspection when compared to smaller brood configurations, and the amount of work the bees must do to fill a double brood box, with what could otherwise be harvestable honey.
Brood and a half
This was the configuration recommended to me when I started.
All the colonies I overwintered on this format survived very well, but left me with spring splits in shallow frames. Which is a messy pain to deal with, and means i still have colonies with a mix of deep and shallow frames in a deep. This format also entails more inspection time than a smaller format.
14 x 12
I'm not going to consider this as it would entail me buying a load of new kit, and the frame format wouldn't be compatible with my existing deep and shallow kit.
Single (deep)
With my wealth of 14 months experience, this is the format I'm moving towards.
It professes to give the shortest inspection times, cheapest and most effective mite treatment opportunity and minimises inspection times.
I have some nervousness, which I hope more experienced beekeepers can help me with:
Overwintering: I'm worried about the smaller space of a single deep being enough for both food and brood. What method/approach can I use to set the colonies up for winter in the best way?
Dearth: Between spring, summer and autumn flows, it must be tempting to take all stores above the QE. What approach do you take in deciding how much and when to leave.
Swarm impulse: I'm suspicious it was the big brood space configurations I used over winter, that grew my big colonies in autumn so they were too large, which then increased their propensity to swarm in the spring. What do think about this?
Brood space: those of you with poly equipment - does poly provide more opportunity for brood space in a single box, as brood can go to the wall?
Thank you.
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