Murray said:
(This is the local version of Demaree, where, once the nest is
approaching capacity, you raise it to the top of the hive, and put the
queen back on the floor in a fresh nest, under the excluder, with just one
bar of eggs for company. Prevents swarming preparations for 18 to 21 days
before it needs repeating.

I used the above method for years but moved away from the method when I put
the first Apistan strip in. I use no deep for honey production which has
been treated with a chemical but I am sure many still do. Completely
removing the filled brood chamber from the queen is a way to get egg
production up and  prevent swarming.

The method I use now is similar to the method Bob D. explained
but with two brood chambers. Because of the scale I am on I need the two
brood boxes for management reasons.

Murray gives good advice and if Bob D. finds the lower brood area plugged
before the main flow next year he might consider moving a few frames of
brood up (or out) to prevent swarming.

 Murray said:
 Our US cousins will laugh at the work levels, but with black bees
everything is different.)

Many U.S. beekeepers laugh at the amount of labor involved in the methods I
use (or talk about me behind my back!)

It has been my experience that those which put the most effort into
beekeeping reap the most rewards. Even a beekeeper with poor management
skills can be successful if he/she puts in the hours to work the bees.

You can not know what is going on in those hives from your easy chair with a
TV remote in your hand. Many large beekeepers play a guessing game (Bob
talking about his friends behind their back now!). Ok UNTIL they guess
wrong. I like to check a few yards before making a large scale move such as
feeding, reversing, changing locations, MEDICATING, splitting, equalizing
etc.

Bob

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