BBKA Forum

Happy bee spring convention, it was all lovely and plentiful

Today I did an inspections on my hives. My best performer one has filled the super. I have added another one on top.
The brood box is obviously full. I did noticed a start of a queen cup on the middle of the frame with an egg in the centre maybe a few days old.I’m thinking to add another brood box? What do you guys reckon?
Cheers

If it's a high swarm cell you need to get with your swarm management pronto.

I tend to add a second brood box at around this time of year when there are 8 or 9 frames of brood as I know that the brood nest will increase with my girls to around 14 - 16 frames. I tend to split the frames over two boxes 4 over 4. If the colony has a lot of bees, I might have the top box as 2 brood plus one of foundation plus 2 more of brood. This gives instant warm space for the bees to draw comb and doesn't split the brood nest as the queen can travel from, say, top left then down to the lower box and then up to top right. Any drawn comb can be used as required around the brood nest and foundation used too if needed.
(If there are some old and grotty frames, they can go in the bottom brood box and assuming the colony goes through the winter as double brood, the old frames will most likely be empty come spring and can be removed).

Just ordered some 'seconds' brood boxes all made up from Bee Equipment for £14 each??!! Postage £9 but worth it if you add some wax etc.!
Alfred you know you like a bargain??!!
ITS A BARGAIN!!!

Thought about it but resisted until they were sold out.
Looks like the money has to go on queens this year.
You'll need to put some sort of treatment on the pine rails with those but they are an unbeatable price.

"Thought about it but resisted until they were sold out".

Well done!

Thanks
It was excruciating.

Glad I ordered them and more stuff from Maisemore total around about £300!!
However, I need spare brood boxes and I needed new wax "as you do"!!
Today I've checked my snelgrove 2 and no queen cells are in both top boxes which is great!
Bottom brood have several, so left 4 on each frame to see how they develop and then chop off 2 and leave 2!!
However, my supers on my snelgrove are filling up so added another empty super box with undrawn comb on one!!
It's getting very high though!!
My other snelgrove needed another super but I didn't have any spare frames so dumped a brood box with undrawn comb on it instead, again very high!!