those bugs won't do what I tell em!

[drobbins]

Hello All,

I was just reading the thread about trying to make the queen lay where one wants them too, so I'm a bit reluctant to post this, but bear with me, there's logic to my madness  :D

I started this year with a beegineer kit, 2 deeps. Bee's filled em up nicely.
I've seen the light and want to switch to all mediums.

So, I added a medium box of starter strips between the 2 deeps.
Bee's drew it out nicely.
I wanna get the deeps outa there
I put queen excluder between the medium and the top deep to try to let brood emerge in top deep so I can take it out and cut it down to a medium.
I mess up and trap queen in top deep, which is now slam full of brood/pollen/honey  :roll:
last weekend I moved excluder between bottom deep and medium to give queen access to medium.
All looks good, lucky they didn't swarm.

So, this weekend bottom deep is ready to be removed
I'm gonna add another medium.
Question: how to arrange boxes??

I have 2 goals
1) I'd like the queens to lay in the mediums so I can remove the deep. I can wait a while so they can work on the new deep then use excluder to force her to do what I want, but it would be nice to just encourage her to do the right thing, umm, ex that, to do what I'd like her to do
:)

2) I'm using starter strips in the mediums in hopes of getting some SC
I know it's not really the right time of year, but I wanna do what I can (if anything)

My plan is to but the new medium on the bottom with a couple of bait frames
then the older medium which is pretty well drawn out
the original deep on top

if I put the deep on bottom I think the honey cap she has over her brood will keep her from moving up, right?

sound like a reasonable plan??
anybody got a better one??

Dave

[Michael Bush]

>1) I'd like the queens to lay in the mediums so I can remove the deep. I can wait a while so they can work on the new deep then use excluder to force her to do what I want, but it would be nice to just encourage her to do the right thing, umm, ex that, to do what I'd like her to do

If you really don't want the brood where it is, the excluder is the only way to keep the queen out of the current nest.  The problem is that sometimes the bees resent it and raise a new queen and ignore the old queen who is no longer in the brood nest.  If it was me, I'd cut one frame of brood, preferably a mix of emerging and open brood, out of a deep frame and tie it or rubber band it into a medium so there is some brood with the queen when you confine her OUT of the current brood nest.

>2) I'm using starter strips in the mediums in hopes of getting some SC
I know it's not really the right time of year, but I wanna do what I can (if anything)

They will still draw some smaller cells.  If you're in a flow, they probably not as small as in the spring, but right now, here, the flow is over and they would probably draw it smalller when there isn't a flow.

>My plan is to but the new medium on the bottom with a couple of bait frames

What bait frames?  Brood?

>if I put the deep on bottom I think the honey cap she has over her brood will keep her from moving up, right?

I wouldn't count on it.  If you want to keep her out of the deep, I'd use an excluder until the brood have emerged and it's full of honey.  Then they will probably not be interested in using it after that.

I'd put the deep on the bottom so I don't have to lift it and put the excluder on top of that and the mediums on top of that with the queen in the mediums plus at least one frame of brood in the mediums so the queen has a brood nest to hold her and some nurse bees there.

[drobbins]

Michael,

I like your recomendation of using all mediums partly for the weight, but mostly for the interchangeabilty of parts.
But I'm not there yet.
I can't move a frame of brood into the medium, it won't fit, it's deep. (ARRGG)
I don't think I can cut down a frame full of brood and not ruin it, can I?
it's pretty darn warm, it wouldn't get chilled.
That still sounds kinda dicey

keep in mind, I only have the 1 hive
that's my problem, resouces are limited
don't worry, won't happen after next year :D

I don't mind moving the box, the 1 with all the brood gone is on the bottom so I gotta move everything anyway to remove it.
I really hope (and expect) she has started laying in the medium which is already drawn out since the deep was packed full last weekend. She didn't have access to the medium till last weekend because of my fau pax with the excluder.
I can take some frames of honey out of the deep and replace with blank foundation, that will give her clear passage without crossing honey  cap.
I guess the real question is

If I'm gonna give her space I want her to expand into, should I put it on top or on bottom?

Do they naturally move up or down?

I've seen this question discussed before but never a real clear answer

Dave

[drobbins]

sorry, I'm rereading your post
you discussed how t get around wrong frame size
cut brood out/tie into medium
blasted pierco foundation :x
I might try that, I've tested tin snips, they cut pierco pretty well

Thanks for your thoughts
I think you gave me my answer

Dave

[Michael Bush]

>you discussed how t get around wrong frame size
cut brood out/tie into medium
blasted pierco foundation  I might try that, I've tested tin snips, they cut pierco pretty well

I guess I wasn't thinking of plastic foundation.  :)  The tin snips might work.  But I'm sure it will be messier than a sharp knife with wax foundation.  :)

It's amazing how often advice is SO dependant on the size of frames, the kind of foundation etc. etc. etc.