Does anyone have experience of using a Langstroth Multi-function crown board for swarm prevention? Thankyou.:o
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Does anyone have experience of using a Langstroth Multi-function crown board for swarm prevention? Thankyou.:o
I rely on non swarmy stock and supering early. (Lang jumbos)
Yes.Quote:
Originally Posted by C Paul Lyttle
Many are using similar division boards but only one entrance/exit.
I like them, but ignore Langstroth's exact timings as these appear to be based on a theory of swarming that was not quite correct. They are not my number one swarm control method....but a lot easier to carry a few boards when visiting out apiaries than nuc's. Have had great success with "method 2" where the bees tear all the queen cells down for you..
Easier methods though are removing queen to nucleus.
Although if the type of bees you keep are annual swarmers then "method 1 (swarm prevention)" is well worth trying out.
It this a Snelgrove board or something else?
No, Snelgrove board has opening slits/doors top and bottom on three sides. This allows you to let bees fly from the top but enter the colony below and so divert strength to help honey strength. The Langstroth board mentioned looks like a simple split board but with the addition that you can use it as a clearer board with that middle opening.Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam
If you can access Ian Craig's "My beekeeping year" you can read how he deals with control of swarming and the use of this crown board you are looking at should be clear.Quote:
Originally Posted by C Paul Lyttle
Is there any such thing as "Swarm prevention"?
I prefer to discuss colony guiding to a mutually satisfactorily outcome.
PH
I had a look at Ian's description - christ that's a long article!
So the board is a 'Snegrove lite' thing for a vertical split. Great that The Wife does not see yet another colony in the back garden compared to the classic artificial swarm that we read about. "You said that you were not going to get any more bees!"
To answer the OP, I would usually Demaree rather than using a solid board although I do have one and have used it on occasions - perhaps after using a Demaree for queenright queenraising and then keeping one of the queencells in the top box. It's then easy to make a separate colony using a solid board. (Can us a front entrance if it's a few feet from the main entrance of the lower colony). Once the queen has mated, the colony can be taken off the top. However when you have one colony on top of another, it makes inspection of the lower colony difficult.
A Snelgrove board gives you all the options. Just because it's got multiple openings doesn't mean you have use them all. Like a Swiss army penknife there is a tool for each situation.
Demaree is fine, but I find that unless I keep moving brood upstairs into the top brood box, the empty cells quickly get filled with honey as soon as the bees emerge. A board restricts the honey to the supers.