Two colonies on top of each other, with different entrances?

[BernardBlack]

I have a colony in a nuc almost ready to outgrow it. I should have been more prepared, but anyway...

The next few days are hectic, and I just don’t have the time to start building New hive parts

So......as a temporary measure.....I was thinking of putting the 6 frame nuc into a brood box, and placing it on top of the hive next to it. And make a different entrance for the “top” hive, facing sidewards.

Would there be any problems doing this, in the short term?

Or even in the long term? ( If say, I left it to overwinter this way?)

 

[Amari]

I have a colony in a nuc almost ready to outgrow it. I should have been more prepared, but anyway...

The next few days are hectic, and I just don’t have the time to start building New hive parts

So......as a temporary measure.....I was thinking of putting the 6 frame nuc into a brood box, and placing it on top of the hive next to it. And make a different entrance for the “top” hive, facing sidewards.

Would there be any problems doing this, in the short term?

Or even in the long term? ( If say, I left it to overwinter this way?)

But to inspect/feed/add/remove supers to lower hive you'd have to lift the top hive off!

 

[BernardBlack]

But to inspect/feed/add/remove supers to lower hive you'd have to lift the top hive off!

Bottom hive is a brood box only.

I would have thought that inspecting both hives, would be like inspecting a double brood hive.

Feeding the bottom colony might be tricky though.

 

[enrico]

If you have the brood box surely you only need a floor and a roof. The roof could be anything waterproof and a few minutes to knock up a solid floor. You seem to be making life even more difficult than spending ten minutes knocking a floor up.

 

[Anduril]

If you haven't got the kit available then it would be like using a snelgrove board. One added benefit would be the warmth from the strong colony keeping the smaller colony above warm over winter. If you have a spare super you could use it for feeding syrup, but only if you have a temporary piece of plywood to use as a crownboard/floor. Or use an eke and feed fondant. This would be OK as a temporary measure for overwintering, then before they start flying you have the winter sales to increase kit.

 

[blackcloud]

Make a snelgrove board (easy) and that's your swarm management for next season sorted too.

 

[hemo]

For a floor one can use a crown board , two angled cuts 75mm - 100mm apart on one edge of the rim and a small screw a third of the way in from one end of the cut for a hinged entrance . Much like a snelgrove has.

 

[gregior]

i've got 4 hives like this ,good for overwintering as the heat from the bottom hive warms the upper one,saves on kit and smaller footprint. It is a bit of a pain when you need to go into the bottom hive but it works for me.