Most beekeepers realize that taking brood out of the hive before they
swarm is beneficial, whether you give it away, or pile it on top over an
excluder.

>
> PLB
>
>

Good comments Peter.

A schematic description of the process as prescribed by the late Harry
Laidlaw follows:

Initial hive stack :
*****************
Top Cover
Upper Box: Brood, nurse bees and new Q (either a cell or an introduction)
and a feeder to assist in Q acceptance
Solid Divider Board w/ 3/4" rim: Separates the two colonies, & provides an
upper entry for new/split colony
Honey Super: Provides a place for the field bees with the lower colony to
stash their goods
Excluder
Bottom Box: Q, empty frames and field bees
Bottom Board
*****************

After the new Q is laying lots of brood (4 to 6 weeks, depending on cell or
introduced laying queen), here's the rearranged stack, put together in
advance of the honey flow:
*****************
Top Cover
Honey Super, ad infinitum
Honey Super
Excluder (Harry liked non-cocooned frames for honey production)
Upper Box: The new laying Q.  (When combining, don't go look for the queen,
just move the box into position and trust the health of the Q)
Newspaper divider with a few hive tool slits to facilitate chewing out
Lower Box: Dig in here and remove this Q prior to combining
Bottom Board
*****************

The advantages are numerous:  Q of the year, two field forces supporting
one colony, surplus brood bees can convert to field work, swarming has been
managed for the year.  The only extra equipment that is necessary is the
divider board (A piece of plywood with a 3/4" rim.  Initially the entrance
is reduced with a healthy handfull of field grass which can be removed once
the colony takes off.

The trick is to implement the modified Demaree early in the year to manage
swarming and to get two healthy colonies ready to combine prior to flow.

s2

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