Hi From North QLD

[Bee North]

Hi All.
Well i am a newbee and have well and truly caught the bug! I started with one hive last season and now have three.
Its been a massive learning curve. I have joined the local club, i am reading everything i can get my hands on and simply loving it...I think my wife is a "little" over my bee obsession (call it what it is Adam) so i am joining you guys as i know you understand! 

[Donovan J]

Welcome to Beemaster!

[BeeMaster2]

Welcome to Beemaster.
This is the place to ask questions. Don?t worry if you think they have been asked before. We love to answer all questions.
Jim

[Bee North]

Thanks so much Jim. I live in the tropics....in the rainforest actually and there isnt a lot of hive management material specific to my situation,  so yes i do have questions. I also work away for a month at a time so i have to plan ahead and try to predict the hives requirements, which isnt easy regarding swarm management...So with all the experience out there i will greatly apreciate any advice given...thanks so much.
Adam

[BeeMaster2]

Adam,
Hopefully one of our members from your area will be able provide an answer.
I suspect that living in a rain forest means that you have a pretty constant flow going on most of the year or at least except continuously until frost.
Jim

[Bee North]

Jim you are correct.
 It seems there is always something coming in without having large "flows". It builds before the wet (monsoonal weather) and again after the rain. The bees slow through winter but dont actually stop foraging- no frost.
For me i have found that the wet this year was tricky. I had one hive swarm (second season hive and queen) and i split another (firt season hive and queen) as it produced swarm cells. It seems they built up well and then are confined during the wet as the forages are also in the hive,  although they still forage a little even in the rain. I believe this "forced" crowding triggers them, but hay im only guessing. Lots of young bees and brood.

During the rain its almost impossible to inspect, hence cells when you do get that hour of opportunity.  The swarm shot off after 3 weeks of rain on the first opportunity...i was home and they left prior to my planned inspection that day-doh! Hanging from the tallest tree off the top branch some 30 + meters high!!
Im running one full deep for brood with excluder and one full super...skim off when i can to provide room.
I am strongly considering 2 brood boxes with one super next year to give me more time. ...very open to suggestions.
Adam

[BeeMaster2]

With that info, I would definitely use 2 brood boxes and 2 deeps. They swarmed because the queen did not have enough room to lay in.
I do not use queen excluders. They tend to bee honey excluders and restrict the queen when they decide to expand the brood area.
Jim

[kanga]

Adam
In Australia the use of Queen Excluders is very common and I believe used by the majority of commercial and hobby beekeepers. I have been running 2 full depth brood boxes, QE and 1 full depth super for the last 8 years. There are pros & cons with whatever system you use. Jim is correct in saying that the reason they probably swarmed is the queen did not have enough room to lay in. To counter this each time I extract I am generally able to lift between 3 to 6 frames of honey from the 2nd brood box and replace them with stickies or if early in the season new frames with foundation thus then giving the queen room to lay.
By talking to members of your local club you will be able to establish what they do re swarm prevention, as beekeeping is very relevant to your local area.
Kevin

[Bee North]

Thanks guys for your advise....i will definitly give them the extra box.

Cheers
Adam