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Author Topic: Single Brood Box Advice Needed  (Read 2594 times)

Offline Beeboy01

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Single Brood Box Advice Needed
« on: July 31, 2018, 01:03:12 pm »
I usually run two deeps for brood in my yard but this year was able to set one hive as a single deep with a queen excluder then shallows for honey production. So far it has worked and the hive which started as a split back in April is going strong and has produced almost 30 lbs of honey.

  My question is how should I configure the hive going into the short winter we have here in Florida.  I guess my options are as follows,

 1) leave it as a single deep with a QE between a shallow of honey. My concern is that the cluster might move up into the shallow and I would loose the queen.

 2) Set the hive the same as option #1 but pull the QE for the winter. This would probably cause the queen to move up into the shallow which could cause problems next year with having the queen in a shallow.

 3) Add a second deep, remove all but one of the shallows and feed the hive to build it up for the winter and a possible split next spring.  This is a good option but I'm pretty much at my limit for equipment and really don't want to expand much more. Plus it is getting a little late to have the bees fill out a deep.

4) Same as #3 but keep it as a double deep for brood next year and pull frames for swarm control and nuc building. In other words turn it into the same configuration as the rest of my yard.

I'm thinking  option #3 but really don't want to expand past 5 or 6 hives which is what will happen if next year goes as well as this year did.
Any thoughts would be appreciated. 





Offline sc-bee

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Re: Single Brood Box Advice Needed
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2018, 01:35:18 pm »
#2---- if she moves up in the spring put her where you want her add excluder and let brood in shallow emerge. Me.... I just totally ditch the excluder then I don't have to worry about it....
John 3:16

Offline cao

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Re: Single Brood Box Advice Needed
« Reply #2 on: July 31, 2018, 01:55:25 pm »
I agree with sc-bee.  I don't see a problem if the queen lays in the shallow.  As long as 1 deep and 1 shallow is enough to get through the winter then that is what I would do.

Van, Arkansas, USA

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Re: Single Brood Box Advice Needed
« Reply #3 on: July 31, 2018, 04:31:06 pm »
Not sure about your area, Fl, however in N. Arkansas we cannot use queen excluders in winter.  The queen must be free to move with the cluster or she will perish.  Our winters are much colder than yours so keep that in mind.  Every area has its own unique qualities.

Offline Beeboy01

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Re: Single Brood Box Advice Needed
« Reply #4 on: July 31, 2018, 05:24:59 pm »
A deep with a full shallow is plenty for winter stores but feeding might be needed come spring.

Offline Beeboy01

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Re: Single Brood Box Advice Needed
« Reply #5 on: August 01, 2018, 03:53:29 pm »
I pulled the queen excluder and tightened up the hives by removing any cleaned out supers after a weekend extraction. Slowly shrinking the hives down and dealing with one weak hive that must of swarmed and had trouble requeening, been moving frames of brood into that hive for two months trying to get them to make a queen. finally spotted some fresh brood so it looks like the hive is queen right but weak. Got it on a feeder for now to help build it back up.

Offline beepro

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Re: Single Brood Box Advice Needed
« Reply #6 on: August 07, 2018, 07:24:24 pm »
In your area it is possible to overwinter them in one honey box and one deep brood nest box.  Just
remove the QE for better bees movement. 

Offline Beeboy01

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Re: Single Brood Box Advice Needed
« Reply #7 on: August 07, 2018, 08:14:23 pm »
One deep of brood and a shallow of honey should be plenty for the short winter we have here in Florida. The cabbage palm flow is about over and the last will be Brazilian pepper with some golden rod. The spring buildup starting mid February can get tricky unless I feed.  It's been a good year with expanding my little yard and don't want to screw it up by not planning ahead for next year. It's a little late to get the hive to draw out and fill a second deep so I've decided to try a deep and shallow with feeding come spring. 

Offline jtcmedic

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Re: Single Brood Box Advice Needed
« Reply #8 on: August 08, 2018, 01:13:08 pm »
I am on west central and my hives survived with deep and a half, I had issues with 2 deeps and small hive beetles in year, now 1 deep or deep and 1/2 is brood nest, gonna try only 1 deep with excluders next year.

Offline Beeboy01

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Re: Single Brood Box Advice Needed
« Reply #9 on: August 08, 2018, 08:27:05 pm »
jtcmedic, This was the first year I tried a single deep with a QE and then shallows for honey. I was checking the brood box every week for congestion and pulling brood or honey frames when needed to give the hive room so it wouldn't swarm. It seemed to work well and I was able to start a nuc from the pulled frames which has turned into another hive. With a single deep under a QE you can't let the bees fill frames with honey, I moved them into the nuc or weaker hives. The single box setup needs more manipulation to prevent swarming.
  I would add the empty honey super under the full ones and swap two or three drawn out and half full frames down into the bottom box. It seemed to help draw the bees up into the empty box and having a partially empty box directly over the brood made the bees think the hive was less congested.
  I've had trouble with SHB's in my double deep hives also which is another reason I tried a single deep for brood this year.

Offline jtcmedic

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Re: Single Brood Box Advice Needed
« Reply #10 on: August 10, 2018, 03:52:45 pm »
There is a canadian beekeeper. https://youtu.be/UKo1DqKku_g devan rawn  all he did is single feels in his commercial yard and he talks about his bees using good management. It is very interesting.

Offline Beeboy01

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Re: Single Brood Box Advice Needed
« Reply #11 on: August 10, 2018, 05:21:29 pm »
I have watched most of his videos which is where I got the idea of using a empty super between the honey boxes and the brood box. He has a lot of good ideas and is a lot of fun to watch. Thanks for posting the link. Even though he is way up north and I'm way down south there is a lot of management ideas that are transferable.

 

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