Hi,
 
 
 
At 09:21 26/09/97 -0700, you wrote:
>At 02:01 PM 9/26/97 UT, you wrote:
>>Does anyone have an opinion or experience using 3 mediums instead of 2 deeps
>>for the brood chamber?
>
>Yes, 3 6-5/8 supers make a good hive unit. One of the advantages that I
>like is the ease in making up increase from one of these units in a early
>spring three hives can be make with no special skills or skilled labor.
>
 
 
This sounds special to me...
 
Why do you say it is easier to make a split in the springs?
Split is to be done at the time you are in swarming danger: before that the
best population increase you can have is in big populations.
So normaly swarming is in may... Hive creation should be done at that time.
 
 
The normal way I create a hive is this:
 
 
I use DADANT standart hives:
        12 frames 44,5*28,5 cm =145 square dm(big, isn't it?)
        supper: 10 Frames 44,5*14 cm= 62 square dm.
Normaly you use Langstroth hives:
        10 frames 42*20 cm = 84 square dm...
 
 
In april I select the best population... there is the best queen.
I take this queen away... So bees will produce new queens.
I take away the supper, remove all unused frame... I realy want
to induice the swarming fever...
 
I will make some cuts in frames that have new eggs...
These will be the best place to produce big queens.
 
The frames pieces I did remove by the cuts + some population+ old queen
will be placed in a special multi multibox hive (each 20*20*20 cm).
Most time I build a pile of 3 of such boxes. Each small box contains 6
small frames. At a time these boxes will be completely full of brood... I
will need that brood : each pair of these frames can be used in an hatching
box...
 
After 12 day... not longer.
 
Close visit of the colony...
 
All closed queen cells are them removed... for use.
all non closed cells are destroied.
The old queen is placed back in place using an introduction box.
 
Each closed queen cell is the placed in an hatching box (see upwards).
Place these far (100 m) from any hive... and give them anough food...
 
WAIT....
give them food....
 
WAIT....
give them food
 
 
After 1 month... open each hatching box... and select the queens.
the have to be bigs, lay eggs using a regular pattern...
Any doubs... wait 15 days.
 
All queens that are not laying regularly... destroy
All good queens are marked + clipped and kept for use.
 
Around that time (15 may) it's time to start new hives
(if you want) from a good population take 3 normal brood
frames and use them to start a new hive. Take also some more
bees : You will prevent swarming.
 
The biggest the colony that produce the cells the best queens you will be
able to produce... But pay attention a good queen will need a big brood
box... You should certainly use 2Langstroth standard 10 frames boxes.
I regularly have colonies that use a 12 DADANT box + 1 supper box.
Some of my friends dit build 18 frames DADANT box...
 
The biggest deal you will have is to prevent swarming...
 
The hive multiplication is done in two ways:
 
Via a swarm ( up to 10 KG).
Using 3 brood frames... taking these prevent swarming.
 
Don't forget to change brood frames regularly.
 
 
Bernard.
 
 
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