Premo,
why is there on most national hives I have seen only one brood chamber.
How many have you seen and what time of the year? They may be OK all year round. some may need etra broodoing space from April to July, some may stay on double brood all year and lots used to be kept on a brood and a half sytem all or most of the year.
Mine have the one brood chamber, but bigger than deeps and some can easily need to lay upstairs at some times. Squeezing them down to a single box in the autumn can need careful timing.
It is similarly totally wrong to give them too much empty space at some times of the year.
Judgement on if, and when, to expand to two, or more boxes is required for maximising the spring expansion and early crop-getting, while lessening the risk of swarming. All part of thinking beekeeping.
RAB
why is there on most national hives I have seen only one brood chamber.
How many have you seen and what time of the year? They may be OK all year round. some may need etra broodoing space from April to July, some may stay on double brood all year and lots used to be kept on a brood and a half sytem all or most of the year.
Mine have the one brood chamber, but bigger than deeps and some can easily need to lay upstairs at some times. Squeezing them down to a single box in the autumn can need careful timing.
It is similarly totally wrong to give them too much empty space at some times of the year.
Judgement on if, and when, to expand to two, or more boxes is required for maximising the spring expansion and early crop-getting, while lessening the risk of swarming. All part of thinking beekeeping.
RAB
