US "style" in the UK?

[BigAshW]

Hi all,

I watch a lot of beekeeping videos on you tube and I'm always interested in the seeming contrast between US and UK beekeeping methods.

Not the migratory stuff but the way the hives are often configured. All boxes the same size and no QE.

Splitting seems to be a lot of 'walk away' or using double screen boards.

And I've seen plenty of reversing brood boxes as swarm control.

I was wondering if anyone uses similar methods over here with any success?

I can see the attraction of the simplicity of all one box size although a full commercial brood box of honey would be pretty heavy.

 

[gmonag]

I was wondering if anyone uses similar methods over here with any success?

I can see the attraction of the simplicity of all one box size although a full commercial brood box of honey would be pretty heavy.

Research the Rose Hive Method.

 

[B+.]

Hi all,

I watch a lot of beekeeping videos on you tube and I'm always interested in the seeming contrast between US and UK beekeeping methods.

Not the migratory stuff but the way the hives are often configured. All boxes the same size and no QE.

Splitting seems to be a lot of 'walk away' or using double screen boards.

And I've seen plenty of reversing brood boxes as swarm control.

I was wondering if anyone uses similar methods over here with any success?

I can see the attraction of the simplicity of all one box size although a full commercial brood box of honey would be pretty heavy.

Well, my apiaries are static - no migration at all but a lot of the other stuff is ok.

1. I use only Langstroth deeps, which makes it easy to find drawn comb for new colonies but makes supers very heavy (~30Kg)
2. I use double Langstroth deeps as a brood area, which is plenty for even the most prolific queens. It also gives them space to store nectar/pollen in autumn while still rearing winter bees - and, I don't have to rush around like an ***** feeding fondant in an emergency to starving colonies. I sit at home with my feet up instead.
3. In spring, the bees will have eaten most/all of the food in the lower box and will usually be in the upper deep. By the time the weather has improved for them to expand their nest, it's the easiest thing n the world to put that empty box above them and give them a whole box of empty comb to expand onto. They'll consume most of the stores during that expansion. Pretty soon, they fill not one box, but two!
4. Commercial is a bit bigger than Langstroth but the principle is the same. You'd need prolific bees to fill all that space though.

 

[Boston Bees]

Hi all,

I watch a lot of beekeeping videos on you tube and I'm always interested in the seeming contrast between US and UK beekeeping methods.

Not the migratory stuff but the way the hives are often configured. All boxes the same size and no QE.

Splitting seems to be a lot of 'walk away' or using double screen boards.

And I've seen plenty of reversing brood boxes as swarm control.

I was wondering if anyone uses similar methods over here with any success?

I can see the attraction of the simplicity of all one box size although a full commercial brood box of honey would be pretty heavy.

Don't think I have seen many US videos where they don't use a QE? At least, not an unusual number compared to UK beekeepers.

The main difference that I can see is the almost zero penetration of poly hives, which is interesting.

 

[BigAshW]

Well, my apiaries are static - no migration at all but a lot of the other stuff is ok.

1. I use only Langstroth deeps, which makes it easy to find drawn comb for new colonies but makes supers very heavy (~30Kg)
2. I use double Langstroth deeps as a brood area, which is plenty for even the most prolific queens. It also gives them space to store nectar/pollen in autumn while still rearing winter bees - and, I don't have to rush around like an ***** feeding fondant in an emergency to starving colonies. I sit at home with my feet up instead.
3. In spring, the bees will have eaten most/all of the food in the lower box and will usually be in the upper deep. By the time the weather has improved for them to expand their nest, it's the easiest thing n the world to put that empty box above them and give them a whole box of empty comb to expand onto. They'll consume most of the stores during that expansion. Pretty soon, they fill not one box, but two!
4. Commercial is a bit bigger than Langstroth but the principle is the same. You'd need prolific bees to fill all that space though.

Thats interesting thanks.

I'm tempted to try one colony and see how it goes. Not sure my bees are prolific enough though. Do you use a particular strain or local bees?

 

[B+.]

Thats interesting thanks.

I'm tempted to try one colony and see how it goes. Not sure my bees are prolific enough though. Do you use a particular strain or local bees?

You can see what I use in the "what did you do in the apiary" thread and here. They're Amc.

 

[jeff33]

I have a 2 colonies which I run on national BB only but with a Qx. I get some very useful drawn comb that way.

 

[BigAshW]

I have a 2 colonies which I run on national BB only but with a Qx. I get some very useful drawn comb that way.

Do you find any difference in honey yield at all? Or do you do it purely for drawing comb?

 

[jeff33]

I do it mostly for comb but give them the box 2 weeks before a flow and feed 1 to 1 which gets them ready on time. You have to keep an eye to make sure they don't store the sugar though so I feed little at the time. Not a problem when the apiary is 300m away from the house.

 

[PeaBee]

Do you find any difference in honey yield at all? Or do you do it purely for drawing comb?

I think ITLD mentioned doing a comparison of yield on different frame types. If I recall correctly shallows and starter were least with deep drawn highest yielding. Cant remember or find the thread though.

 

[Antipodes]

I use boxes all the same size as many do here in Tasmania. They are just a bit smaller than a national shallow at about 144-146mm.
Full of honey , you get about 10kgs of honey per box, but the box, frames and honey is more like 13 +kgs. That is plenty heavy enough to lift. They can absolutely boom with bees and honey, no problem, and are wooden too (and most have ventilation holes in the roofs as well). You can see them throughout this attached video. This guy gets so many bees in them that he sends the excess bees to Canada.

 

[Finman]

USA is very large country and it has many climate areas.

Mr Scientific Beekeeper lives in California.
Texas state is 3 times as big as Finland.

British beekeeping do not accept nothing "out sea knowledge". Everything must be done in the UK.

That walk away nucs. You can calculate how many months it takes, when you make a nuc.
- Then the emergency queen grows
- it mates and starts to lay With all weather risks
- when the first brood cycle is emerged
- no original nuc bees are any more alive.

Slow to start and it has the most low quality queen in it. Half summer is gone before the nuc starts to grow. Mere waste of summer compared to that, that you buy a mated queen.
-

 

[Ian123]

I use mainly National deeps, supers are generally only for comb. Reversing the boxes as you describe certainly helps with swarm prevention. Also the ability to remove honey clogged frames from the brood area and simply add to the super/broods help. As to walk away splits it’s rather a poor way of any reproduction.