My double colony problem/ question

[The15thMember]

Cut a piece (or two) of 1/8" Luan plywood the size of your boxes.  Now you can run what looks like one hive but is actually two.  Just put a bottom entrance on the bottom hive and a top entrance on the top hive with the plywood in between.  Now you can run six hives and not even a beekeeper will notice...

I did something similar to that once when I had an equipment shortage.  I called that hive "The Apartment".    I only ran the hive like that temporarily, until the bottom board I had on order arrived. 

I did it!!
https://youtu.be/g-rr0My2wbU
Now I?m observing them scattering looking for that bleep eyed side entrance .
Maybe it was a double and I took off QE so we will see!

Good job, Salty!  Did you inspect the colony at all today, or did you just removed the excluder and clean things up?  I'm just curious what it looks like in there.     

[saltybluegrass]

I sat on the porch all afternoon watching them gather at the bottom entrance
I did not inspect the bottom
I robbed two frames from the top box so they would have room.
I got 6 quarts of honey today.

[The15thMember]

I sat on the porch all afternoon watching them gather at the bottom entrance
I did not inspect the bottom
I robbed two frames from the top box so they would have room.
I got 6 quarts of honey today.

Nice!  So there was no brood in the top?  Then they've probably got it all figured out already. 

[salvo]

Hi Folks,

I'd second Michael Bush's statement, only I'd not use a queen excluder. I'd use a Snelgrove board. Keep the colonies from mixing.

One hive, multiple colonies. Loophole.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344254950_THE_SNELGROVE_BOARD_One_Method_of_Swarm_Control_With_a_Few_Other_Benefits

Sal

[The15thMember]

Hi Folks,

I'd second Michael Bush's statement, only I'd not use a queen excluder. I'd use a Snelgrove board. Keep the colonies from mixing.

One hive, multiple colonies. Loophole.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344254950_THE_SNELGROVE_BOARD_One_Method_of_Swarm_Control_With_a_Few_Other_Benefits

Sal

Good article, Sal!  I've got a Snelgrove board, so I'll be saving that PDF.  Thanks for posting.

[paus]

Maybe a different subject buuttt. I have never seen a Snelgrove board, but I assume it is a double screen, with screens about 1/8 inch apart.  My question is, "What would be the results if you used a single screen between two colonies stacked, 1. would there be significant fighting in a hive combine situation. 2. could this be used in stacked nukes.  3. would the queens fight 4. If one colony was queenless in a combine would the queenless colony raise a new queen if the SB was left in.  4. why don't the bees in a two queen hive fight as some workers carry one queen pheromone scent and others carry another scent.  Would the above answers be the same with window screen as with 1/8" hardware screen

[The15thMember]

Maybe a different subject buuttt. I have never seen a Snelgrove board, but I assume it is a double screen, with screens about 1/8 inch apart.  My question is, "What would be the results if you used a single screen between two colonies stacked, 1. would there be significant fighting in a hive combine situation. 2. could this be used in stacked nukes.  3. would the queens fight 4. If one colony was queenless in a combine would the queenless colony raise a new queen if the SB was left in.  4. why don't the bees in a two queen hive fight as some workers carry one queen pheromone scent and others carry another scent.  Would the above answers be the same with window screen as with 1/8" hardware screen

I don't have any experience with double queen colonies, but I've seen bees fight through a single screen.  If I remember correctly, it was a time when I had a colony that was being robbed that had a screened inner cover.  The robbers were attempting to get in there, and there was a pile of dead bees on the screen. 

[saltybluegrass]

This was the first time in 4 years that I actually had a blast going into a hive.
My plan was clear, I kinda knew what I?d find and I plopped a chair right by the hive and went to work.
I pitched some honey comb around the hive and it seemed to keep them busy.
It?s amazing to watch them clean a comb so quickly.
They never attacked me but there was a ton of activity around me in the air.
I accidentally left a hatch cover flipped in allowing them for top access still. Later that night I went out and secured the top. Now everyone is using the bottom entrance.
Looks like a happy hive and more happier keeper!

[The15thMember]

This was the first time in 4 years that I actually had a blast going into a hive.
My plan was clear, I kinda knew what I?d find and I plopped a chair right by the hive and went to work.
I pitched some honey comb around the hive and it seemed to keep them busy.
It?s amazing to watch them clean a comb so quickly.
They never attacked me but there was a ton of activity around me in the air.
I accidentally left a hatch cover flipped in allowing them for top access still. Later that night I went out and secured the top. Now everyone is using the bottom entrance.
Looks like a happy hive and more happier keeper!

That's awesome, Salty!   

I pitched some honey comb around the hive and it seemed to keep them busy.
It?s amazing to watch them clean a comb so quickly.
They never attacked me but there was a ton of activity around me in the air.

Something like that is fine in a flow, but I'd be very hesitant to do have comb, syrup, or anything attractive to the bees lying around in a dearth, even for a short amount of time.  That's a recipe for drawing in robbers.       

[Michael Bush]

The difference between a double screen (snelgrove, demaree etc.) and a single screen is that they can't share QMP by mouth through the double screen and that means they will keep or start a queen.  With a single screen they can share and so the queenless side knows they have a queen are are unlikely to start one/keep one.

[The15thMember]

The difference between a double screen (snelgrove, demaree etc.) and a single screen is that they can't share QMP by mouth through the double screen and that means they will keep or start a queen.  With a single screen they can share and so the queenless side knows they have a queen are are unlikely to start one/keep one.

Ah, that makes sense.  Thanks Michael.