Transferring bees from Nationals to 14 x 12

[the naked beekeeper]

But if the Bailey change was done during a flow wouldn't you simply end up with the 14 x 12 new foundation being drawn and filled with honey (above where they like to put it) and the queen forced to continue laying in the standard national below?

Read my post no.15!!!!!

 

[Pete D]

I will be doing this too this spring and asked the same question a while back. I will be putting the 14 x12 on top of the national and let them to start to use it, I have the added benefit of some drawn comb including a bit of stores. When the time is right (using my 11 months experience ! ha ha )
I will move the queen up with the frame she is on and put a QX in, 3 weeks
later remove the national brood and start to work the national frame thats in the 14 x 12 to the edge of the brood nest where it will reside for the summer to help my varoa control.
Good luck with whatever way you choose.
Pete D

 

[Scillybee]

Thanks for all the advice - it sounds easy when you know how and I'm all for simplicity! Once I've done something like this the learning curve becomes less steep but I hope there isn't a day I don't learn something!

 

[xgeordie]

As PH says, but give em a top feeder to enourage them up to draw out the foundation.

You've got the perfect opportunity in Spring as the colony will be naturally increasing.

When you can see fresh eggs in the top box (14 x 12), make sure the Q is in there and slip a QX inbetween the boxes. Wait 3 weeks for all the brood to hatch from the bottom (National) box and ta dah!!!!!!!!!

With your National frames, you could put them above a cronwboard (in the National brood body) for the bees to take down into the 14x12, or you could use them to make nucs for swarm control/increase.

Always options...

I used this approach last year. Checked after 1 week and ta dah!!!!!!!!!! ...they had swarmed.

 

[Beeline]

Read my post no.15!!!!!

I did and foregive my incorrect interpretation but your choice of wording did not suggest the queen was placed up there with qx fitted below but merely that she would naturally migrate to the upper box - hence my question.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I used this approach last year. Checked after 1 week and ta dah!!!!!!!!!! ...they had swarmed.

Once they are in swarm mode that's what can happen
As far as the bees were concerned the extra room was too late and there was the start of a queen cell somewhere un-noticed

 

[Mandeville]

When you can see fresh eggs in the top box (14 x 12), make sure the Q is in there and slip a QX inbetween the boxes. Wait 3 weeks for all the brood to hatch from the bottom (National) box and ta dah!!!!!!!!!

Apologies if this is a daft newbie question - but what happens about drones trapped in the top box above the QX?

 

[oliver90owner]

what happens about drones trapped in the top box above the QX?

There will not be any if the job is got on with promptly!

RAB

 

[Mandeville]

Ah, OK - thanks