Uniting and then emptying a brood chamber?

[Sutty]

I occurs to me that I've never united a colony that was already on double brood, so haven't felt the need to get them to empty a brood chamber to be stored.
Any pointers as to the best method?
I'm thinking once all united successfully to put one brood chamber on top with an upper entrance and an empty super of frames beneath, wait for all brood to emerge & hope they don't use it for stores as will be filling the super.
Any better methods?

 

[Sutty]

Still got this issue to deal with. I've united other hives on single brood, making them double, but I have several on double brood to unite & don't really want loads of brood frames filled with honey to extract if I can help it! My extractor will only do 3 deep frames tangentially.

 

[blackcloud]

Can you take out full stores frames and give them back in Autumn?

 

[Ian123]

I occurs to me that I've never united a colony that was already on double brood, so haven't felt the need to get them to empty a brood chamber to be stored.
Any pointers as to the best method?
I'm thinking once all united successfully to put one brood chamber on top with an upper entrance and an empty super of frames beneath, wait for all brood to emerge & hope they don't use it for stores as will be filling the super.
Any better methods?

They won’t empty it!

 

[Sutty]

A lot will empty itself as brood emerges. It's a question of stopping them filling it with honey!

 

[enrico]

It is a head scratcher. In the height if the season it is not easy to do. In autumn as laying becomes less it is easier to combine all the brood into one box and all the other frames into another. But..... You are bound to end up with food in brood frames.
It is the only benefit of having brood and a half!
There is no simple answer to your question, all you can do is your best.
Sorry.

 

[ericbeaumont]

My extractor will only do 3 deep frames tangentially

Mine too, and as a large swing-basket electric is not on the cards, I just get on with it. Bonus is that you'll have a few boxes of good DN combs* for next season, and though the extra extraction time may seem onerous, you'll get 4lbs out of each, rather than 2.5 out of an SN.

* Spray with Dipel or Bruco.

 

[ericbeaumont]

put one brood chamber on top with an upper entrance and an empty super of frames beneath, wait for all brood to emerge & hope they don't use it for stores as will be filling the super

They won’t empty it!

No, they won't, at least not until the flow has stopped and they're pulling anything they can find into the nest. Usual trick: scratch the combs and put the box above a crownboard with a small hole. An empty super on the CB will accentuate the distance from the winter nest.

At that time I'll be ready to load onto colonies any DN or SN with crystallised stores from last year or scraps from this summer; it'll save feeding.

 

[bignikki]

I have the same problem this year. But no extractor to take deep frames.
I've scratched the cappings of one frame and put it in the middle of the brood nest hoping the bees will move the honey up. I marked it with a drawing pin so i don't lose it. If it works I'll carry on with the rest.

 

[Sutty]

I have the same problem this year. But no extractor to take deep frames.
I've scratched the cappings of one frame and put it in the middle of the brood nest hoping the bees will move the honey up. I marked it with a drawing pin so i don't lose it. If it works I'll carry on with the rest.

So do you take out a frame from the outside of the BB (full of stores?) to make space?!

 

[ericbeaumont]

no extractor to take deep frames

A radial can be fitted with tangential screens. If you have no extractor at all, try your local BKA, they may have one to loan.

Extract 50% of one side on medium speed, flip it and extract the other, flip and finish the first.

 

[bignikki]

So do you take out a frame from the outside of the BB (full of stores?) to make space?!

Hmm! Good point!
I'm uniting splits that I've made so have to try and get 22 frames down to 11. Some have brood some are just foundation still and quite a few are packed with stores.
Put a scratched frame of stores in the middle of the brood nest like i said and then juggle the rest of the frames about until I've got 11 frames empty to remove the extra BB.
Like i said "if it works"!!

 

[bignikki]

A radial can be fitted with tangential screens. If you have no extractor at all, try your local BKA, they may have one to loan.

Extract 50% of one side on medium speed, flip it and extract the other, flip and finish the first.

I'm using my clubs 9 frame radial extractor but i don't know if it can be turned in to a tangential one. Can it? What would i need to get for it?
It would certainly solve the problem.

 

[bignikki]

I'm using my clubs 9 frame radial extractor but i don't know if it can be turned in to a tangential one. Can it? What would i need to get for it?
It would certainly solve the problem.

Ok. I've just looked it up.
Yes it can be. I'll just have to buy the screens for it.
Or even better.... Ask the club of it would like to buy them.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Ok. I've just looked it up.
Yes it can be. I'll just have to buy the screens for it.
Or even better.... Ask the club of it would like to buy them.

which association are you a member of?

 

[bignikki]

East Carmarthen.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

East Carmarthen.

same here - have you asked whether they have tangential cages for the extractor? bit daft if they don't as many members are near the heather

 

[bignikki]

Yes. I sent a message to ask if there were any for it today. And suggested buying some of there's not.

 

[bignikki]

I know!
I'll propose it. And you can second it!!