Too late in the season to Demaree?

[Do224]

I caught a swarm mid May and they have filled the bb with brood on all but the outer frames on each side (including quite a bit of drone brood). They’re now starting to draw out and fill their first super.

I’ve been wondering whether it would be sensible to perform a demaree…

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I wouldn't in this particular circumstance, but as long as there is a flow on it's not really 'too late' just be mindful of the fact that they will be slowing down soon

 

[Erichalfbee]

I caught a swarm mid May and they have filled the bb with brood on all but the outer frames on each side (including quite a bit of drone brood). They’re now starting to draw out and fill their first super.

I’ve been wondering whether it would be sensible to perform a demaree…

I have one similar from May 8. 14x12. They had brood on every frame with an arc of stores on top. They were stuffed.
I gave them an undrawn super under the QX and in ten days they have drawn it all and moved their stores into it.

 

[Do224]

I wouldn't in this particular circumstance, but as long as there is a flow on it's not really 'too late' just be mindful of the fact that they will be slowing down soon

Ok thanks. What is it about this circumstance that makes it unsuitable for a demaree…would you normally wait until they’ve filled one super and are working on the second?

 

[Do224]

I have one similar from May 8. 14x12. They had brood on every frame with an arc of stores on top. They were stuffed.
I gave them an undrawn super under the QX and in ten days they have drawn it all and moved their stores into it.

Did you put the undrawn super under the qx because they were more likely to draw it without the qx ‘barrier’…or because you thought the queen would want to use the super to lay in?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Neither really. I knew they would draw it. I have drawn supers I could use but needed all these young bees to have something to do. Draw wax. I wasn’t concerned about the queen laying there if she needed the room and I wanted to give her the option. Hence putting the box under the QX After all the bees would put honey up there as the brood nest contracted at the end of the season anyway.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Ok thanks. What is it about this circumstance that makes it unsuitable for a demaree…would you normally wait until they’ve filled one super and are working on the second?

the season is getting on, the bees (prime or cast?) have just drawn a whole brood box, you are expecting them to draw another one now and the queen to lay it up.
You can do a Demarree with only one empty super between the two boxes, just don't expect them to make QCs.
From this time onwards a Demarree can set back a colony if you are not careful.

 

[Do224]

the season is getting on, the bees (prime or cast?) have just drawn a whole brood box, you are expecting them to draw another one now and the queen to lay it up.

Yeah, it does seem a lot to ask. I’ll just leave them to it as they are and keep an eye out for swarm cells each week.

It was a prime swarm. They were given four drawn frames and the rest foundation when I hived them.

 

[holmbee]

I have just taken down my two demarees as the queens have reduced their laying rates. I have one colony where the newish queen is laying up fast. I will use one frame of sealed brood to go into a nuc I have planned for next week and replace the frame with foundation for the young bees to draw.