How to use a Dummy Board for Beginner Beekeepers
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- Опубліковано 6 лют 2025
- I have been asked how to use a dummy board several times in recent weeks so today I recorded how I use them in an beehive in one of our final inspection videos for our getting started series for 2017. Throughout this season I have been recording a video of our new allotment apiary and how we set up a nucleus colony and introduced it into a full sized hive, culminating in the extraction of our first honey crop from this colony just a few weeks ago.
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Looking for a great first book for beekeeping? Check out two of my favourites below:
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Guide to Bees and Honey by Ted Hooper
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The Honeybee, Around and About by Celia Davis
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Or Try The Best Selling Beekeeping Book Ever!
Guide to Bees and Honey by Ted Hooper
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Hi Stuart. I've watched all your videos in the 'getting started in beekeeping 2017'. I don't usually comment on utube videos but just had to with yours. I thought they were absolutely brilliant, incredibly informative and I really loved how much respect you had for the bees - even the one that was trying to sting you. Thank you so much. I'm getting my nuc in a couple of months so very excited. Thank you once again. Xx
Jane, Good luck with your beekeeping Journey. Best wishes, Stewart
Hi Stewart thank you for this series i have watched it all now and have enjoyed it and have taken everything in and made a lot of notes as i will be starting in 2020 please keep the videos coming i have my own channel on a different subject but am thinking of starting a new channel on doing beekeeping from scratch .
Can't wait to see your videos on wintering National hives :)
Hi Mieszko,
Should have it sorted in a week or so.
Stewart
Has wintering national hives video been posted?
is there just more frames in the commercial brood box ? what's the difference between them and 12x14
What stops the bees from going under the dummy board and combing behind it
I am very interested in your videos and am looking into all aspects of bee keeping , Why when you inspected the hive did you not put back the queen excluder , or is it so she moves up and down the hive ? , thank Emma
Hi Emma,
Thanks for the comment. The queen excluder isn't needed through the Winter as this colony is overWintered on just a single brood box. The super was removed as I think I mention towards the end of the video. Good luck with your beekeeping when you get started.
Stewart
Nice video, very informative. Keep them coming :)
Hi bluzervic,
thanks for your comments.
Stewart
Hi sorry I’m still only looking into bee keeping and my question my be a little silly. Why did you remove supper? I kind of thought that bees would need it as food store for a winter... or is this colony not big enough and don’t need it?
Hi Stewart. Thanks for another great video - your globe artichokes are looking great BTW! I notice you often leave the feedholes open in the crown board. Do you do this all year round, or do you cover them in, say the autumn/winter? Cheers, Phill
Hi Phil,
thanks for commenting.
The artichokes were great this year and although a lot of work to get to the edible parts I think they were well worth it.
I leave the feed holes open until early Winter when I then cover them. More through old habits and what I was shown when I first started beekeeping. I then open them in the Spring.
Stewart
What happens to the bees that were behind the board when you closed it up?
Simon, is it necessary to feed the bees with some kind of pollen or with the syrup be enough?
Hi Steve,
It's Stewart, not simon :)
no need to feed pollen at this time of year, most colonies will have collected and store enough for their own purposes. I find syrup is the only thing I need to feed in the Autumn.
Stewart
Why do the bees not add brace comb behind the dummy board - as they have access from above and below. Also is there bee space on the sides of the dummy board ?
Hi John,
Good question. I think it's the separation from the main colony that stops them, it's only once they get very overcrowded that they then start to look elsewhere.
Stewart
Hi Stewart: What mil thickness and material are your gloves? I find that 5 mil is insufficient at thwarting stings, therefore I use 9 mil gloves and get a better outcome. great vid as always.
Hi George,
I'm not sure what thickness they are, I know the bees can still get through them but generally I can feel the bees on my hands so know when to just move a grumpy bee away before it gets a real hold and stings.
Stewart
I want one of those shirts!
Hi Steve,
T shirts will be available on my website in the not too distant future. I'll let you know when they're up and available.
Stewart
What happens if you accidentally crush a couple of bees when putting the lid back on etc?
Hi Maria,
inevitably it does happen from time to time. As hard as you try an errant bee will get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Stewart
Could explain national and commercial hives? I’m in the U.S.
Caan you tell e where you get you gloves please, and how I get 10% discount on a B B Wear suit?
Hi Graham,
thanks for the message. The gloves come from a company called The Glove Store, they're an online company and very efficient. The code for the BBWear suit discount is NHCBBW10
You can use this either online or by phoning them directly.
Stewart
not sure if its just me but i am finding this video jumpy keeps freezing etc etc
Think it must be you! I had no problem with quality of video.
Your PC will be having trouble with his videos now being 60FPS, go to quality and change it to 720p60FPS instead of anything higher and it should play