doing an AS

rje66

Hi, going into my 2nd year, and hope to build up my colony. Reading up on art. Swarm, and just throwing it out there for any useful tips, so when the time comes I'm ready for it.
My understanding is move existing hive with QCs and replace on this space with new BB and drawn frames, if possible, and place queen here.Feed with syrup. All flying bees will return to here.do I add any frames with brood from original BB??

Original BB that was moved leave 2 viable QCs, leave them to it then. This move should be less than 3feet ?

conor t

rje66 wrote: »

Hi, going into my 2nd year, and hope to build up my colony. Reading up on art. Swarm, and just throwing it out there for any useful tips, so when the time comes I'm ready for it.
My understanding is move existing hive with QCs and replace on this space with new BB and drawn frames, if possible, and place queen here.Feed with syrup. All flying bees will return to here.do I add any frames with brood from original BB??

Original BB that was moved leave 2 viable QCs, leave them to it then. This move should be less than 3feet ?

Move the queen with a frame of brood, and move the queenless hive at least 3 feet or you might get the bees returning

rje66

conor t wrote: »

Move the queen with a frame of brood, and move the queenless hive at least 3 feet or you might get the bees returning

Thanks,
So moving Q- hive , say 2metres, from original site will be ok.
Am I correct in understanding that all flying bees will end up in New hive with Q on original site and house bees and emerging brood make up the queen less hive, and as the house bees havnt flown much if any, the move isn't an issue???

brianmc

rje66 wrote: »

Thanks,
So moving Q- hive , say 2metres, from original site will be ok.
Am I correct in understanding that all flying bees will end up in New hive with Q on original site and house bees and emerging brood make up the queen less hive, and as the house bees havnt flown much if any, the move isn't an issue???

Sounds about right to me. The next question then is whether you intend to bring on the new hive as an additional colony or merge it back in to the original hive to boost it for honey production...

rje66

brianmc wrote: »

Sounds about right to me. The next question then is whether you intend to bring on the new hive as an additional colony or merge it back in to the original hive to boost it for honey production...

Would like to build up to 2-3. Hives, so I prob won't merge this year, or is it possible to do both, ie get honey and build up colonies?
Will be getting a nuc or two , hives only, and already have a spare hive. Just always worried that at end of season if for some reason I end up with one weak hive and it dosent survive winter I'm back to square one, whereas if I have a few hives I can unite weaker ones etc.
Am I being realisticðŸ˜႒ðŸ˜႒?

conor t

rje66 wrote: »

Would like to build up to 2-3. Hives, so I prob won't merge this year, or is it possible to do both, ie get honey and build up colonies?
Will be getting a nuc or two , hives only, and already have a spare hive. Just always worried that at end of season if for some reason I end up with one weak hive and it dosent survive winter I'm back to square one, whereas if I have a few hives I can unite weaker ones etc.
Am I being realisticðŸ˜႒ðŸ˜႒?

Build them up onto a double brood, then when you AS the q- hive will still give a decent but of honey