Box manipulation to maximise hive productivity

OzBuzz · November 24, 2010, 08:48:57 PM

Hi Everybody,

I'm a Beek in Australia - things are warming up over here as our summer comes in...

I have a question - i have a hive (one of 13) - which is my favourite - it was my first ever hive! It's three full depth boxes high with a very productive queen. I have been aay for four weeks and before i left i put a third box with undrawn foundation in the middle. The brood nest was booming in the bottom box. I came home yesterday and did my first inspection for four weeks... The brood nest is now booming in the top box, the middle box has mostly drawn foundation with some new eggs as well as some nectar, the bottom box is packed full or pollen and nectar. I took the top box, the one packed full of brood, and moved it to the bottom... then i left the middle box (with some stores and fresh eggs) in the middle and i put the pollen/nectar stores on the very top. Was that a wise idea? I'm trying to encourage the queen to draw out all the frames and increase the hive population to maximise foraging when the flow starts

RayMarler · November 25, 2010, 03:10:04 AM

It sounds great to me, is what I might have done myself.
Good luck on a great honey crop!

Finski · November 25, 2010, 12:10:55 PM

.
The hive is the foraging power and nectaar on pastures is the yield.

The more imprtant than your hive maximizing is to find splended pastures, where bees get quickly full load and it is short flying distance.

It takes almost 2 months after winter to get the hive in foraging condition.

troutstalker2 · November 27, 2010, 10:01:42 AM

I've read the reasons for switching boxes and have done it myself. I can't tell if its made a difference. That being said it was not a very scientific study, just what I've seen. I don't do it anymore. It seems to me that that you have a chance of the brood getting cold and disrupting what is going on in the hive. I just don't know if its worth doing.

David

David McLeod · November 27, 2010, 10:29:02 AM

Read the articles by Walt Wright and decide for yourself. I can not speak either way other than back in the day when I had bees I practiced box reversal and while I didn't kill the bees I never really liked it but did not do the experiments either way. All I know is that this spring when I get back into the game I'm going to try something different and see for myself.

lenape13 · November 27, 2010, 11:32:50 AM

I just let my bees be bees and they seem to do a good job. I figure they've been at it longer than I, so they probably know what they want and where they want it. I would think it's not worth the effort.

OzBuzz · November 29, 2010, 11:53:37 PM

So i went and inspected the hives yesterday afternoon as we're looking at having a few bad days weather and i needed to see where they were at... the middle box, the one that was mostly empty with some nectar and freshly laid eggs in it, is now almost completely full of nectar and they've started capping some of it!

Finski · November 30, 2010, 03:50:34 AM

Quote from: OzBuzz on November 29, 2010, 11:53:37 PM
he middle box, the one that was mostly empty with some nectar and freshly laid eggs in it, is now almost completely full of nectar and they've started capping some of it!

if the hive is full of nectar, it is time to give more space and foundations to draw. Otherwise they start swarming and stop working.
Give foundations above the brood. You may give first 5 foundations and when they are half drawn, give more.

Finski · November 30, 2010, 03:54:25 AM

.

If the nectar flow is heavy you may give a foundation box under the brood area. So they have space where to enlarge.

How big is your hive, how many boxes?

OzBuzz · December 09, 2010, 07:00:55 PM

Thanks Finski for your feedback - i have 10 boxes and 80 frames arriving today so i have more than enough for the time being for my 13 hives (although i have four to collect this weekend).

The hive in question is currently three boxes high - i'm going to inspect this weekend and add a box if necessary. The Red Gum (Eucalyptus spp) have started to flower in my area so things are going to get manic! Ideally with this particular hive i want to run a double brood chamber and a honey super although i think, based on where the pollen etc is stored in this hive, it may end up being two brood boxes and two stores boxes as i have one (of the three boxes on there currently) mostly full of pollen

edward · December 09, 2010, 10:27:36 PM

AAAAAAhhhhhh 11 more days and the world will start to tip in the right direction for us in the norther hemisphere

Have fun with you re bees down under

Bönan Sweden -14c 55cm of snow ,

oh well Santa will bee able to drive his sleigh full of pressies to all the kind beekeepers that didn't swear when they were stung i the year 2010 :-D

mvh edward :-P

Finski · December 12, 2010, 01:00:41 PM

Quote from: OzBuzz on December 09, 2010, 07:00:55 PM

The hive in question is currently three boxes high -

3 boxes is the stage where you should enlarge by giving foundations. After 3 boxes the colony is ready to sswarm. To avoid swarming, *give space to new brood
* give space to nectar to rippen
* space to pollen
* if you are gong to get 1 capped box honey, you need 2 more box for nectar.

Put foundations between brood and supers

As far as I know, eucalyptus trees give a good flow, and to a small hive it is dangerous because lack of space makes them swarm.