According to my humble experience. Bees need warmth to draw comb. So I found better to checkerboard the bottom brood box with drawn comb and the upper box with foundation. The rising heat from the bottom brood box will help the bees to draw out comb from edge to edge of the frame. At my first years of beekeeping, I used to add wax foundation to the bottom. Many times bees chewed the foundation or did half decent job despite it was warm and in the flow season.
I'd checkered a nuc I had off you once in a full hive just to get frames drawn out it was a nuc where the Q absconded so you sent me a free replacement. Well I'm very happy to say it's gone crazy to the point it's ready for a second brood box. You know when you open the box and laugh to yourself just how big it's grown so quickly.
Just watched your “checker boarding” post. Very interesting and tempting. Q: were I to carry out this exercise today, by increasing the colony capacity quickly, might this encourage swarming?
Hey L, just wanted to say how gentle the Welsh Buckfasts I got from you really are. I've been working them at least weekly since recieving a nuc, without a suit (just a veil) and have recieved just FOUR stings this year in total, despite crappy weather.
If you are keeping bees in treatment free apiary then you can use new frames without foundation. The bees will make their own wax to their own cell size and on some occasions they will fill the entire frame with drone brood (that you can remove when capped).
Hows the weather impacting you Laurence, here in Northern Ireland there's nothing but rain. I'm having to feed my bees as they're not really getting out and about on a continuous basis.
Hi Lawrence, timely video thanks! Can you do the same with frames of ⅓ foundation (the rest of the frame being empty space) so the bees build their own foundation/comb?
Amazing video! Honey bees are such geniuses in how they can re-organise themselves even when their home is changed! I am browsing through the Queens on your website and I'm a little confused about the different types 😅 what is the difference between a F1 Buckfast, a UK F1 Buckfast and a VSH Buckfast please?
our F1 buckfast and UK F1 buckfast are basically the same generation. one is raised Malta and one is raised in the UK the VSH are bred specifically for their sensitivity to varroa and their ability to keep varroa levels down in the colony
Thank you Laurence, for the advice, I’m ready to try this, my Bee’s have more than doubled in the last three weeks, I have been feeding them still, the Queen is a beauty, I’m so pleased I got my very first nuke from you, thank you Laurence, they are so calm, everything I’ve learned about bee’s, has been what I have leaned from mostly watching your videos, I have never had a bee sting in my life, and I still haven’t so far 🤞😊, these bees (your bee’s )are amazing 🤗, so Thank you again Laurence 🙂 I hope all is going well with baby Lily and all the family ❤️🤗 take care
@@tapestryofsoulsbaker4805 Ah that's amazing. I'm glad the bees are doing well. sounds like you doing a fab job of looking after them and I'm glad the videos are useful for you
They really are Laurence 🤗, I’m so pleased with them, I have wanted bee’s for years and watching your videos helped me make the decision to get them, and I’m so glad I did, and I can’t say enough about these bee’s I got from you, they really are amazing 🙂, take care Billie
That's why I always leave a frame with a starter strip at the edge. If bees start building it, that's a sign that the colony could handle expansion such adding a box or checkerboard. It doesn't matter how much the hive is packed with bees, if they didn't start building that frame. It means that they are not ready.
Hay L question you do thiis when there is a flow. spring. here is virginia i seperate the brood with drawn comb as a swarm mangerment. do you do this doing your spring build up. with a flow on. Thanks have a blessed week if u are in a dearth this will not work will it. I am in a dearth now the flow is over thanks have a blessed week
According to my humble experience.
Bees need warmth to draw comb. So I found better to checkerboard the bottom brood box with drawn comb and the upper box with foundation.
The rising heat from the bottom brood box will help the bees to draw out comb from edge to edge of the frame.
At my first years of beekeeping, I used to add wax foundation to the bottom. Many times bees chewed the foundation or did half decent job despite it was warm and in the flow season.
I'd checkered a nuc I had off you once in a full hive just to get frames drawn out it was a nuc where the Q absconded so you sent me a free replacement. Well I'm very happy to say it's gone crazy to the point it's ready for a second brood box. You know when you open the box and laugh to yourself just how big it's grown so quickly.
Great info thanks. Looks like you crush a few bees when putting your boxes back together, Nice content bud thanks
Just watched your “checker boarding” post. Very interesting and tempting.
Q: were I to carry out this exercise today, by increasing the colony capacity quickly, might this encourage swarming?
Hey L, just wanted to say how gentle the Welsh Buckfasts I got from you really are. I've been working them at least weekly since recieving a nuc, without a suit (just a veil) and have recieved just FOUR stings this year in total, despite crappy weather.
That's really nice to hear 😊
glad you are enjoying them 😄
If you are keeping bees in treatment free apiary then you can use new frames without foundation. The bees will make their own wax to their own cell size and on some occasions they will fill the entire frame with drone brood (that you can remove when capped).
Hows the weather impacting you Laurence, here in Northern Ireland there's nothing but rain. I'm having to feed my bees as they're not really getting out and about on a continuous basis.
Hi Lawrence, timely video thanks! Can you do the same with frames of ⅓ foundation (the rest of the frame being empty space) so the bees build their own foundation/comb?
Amazing video! Honey bees are such geniuses in how they can re-organise themselves even when their home is changed!
I am browsing through the Queens on your website and I'm a little confused about the different types 😅 what is the difference between a F1 Buckfast, a UK F1 Buckfast and a VSH Buckfast please?
our F1 buckfast and UK F1 buckfast are basically the same generation. one is raised Malta and one is raised in the UK
the VSH are bred specifically for their sensitivity to varroa and their ability to keep varroa levels down in the colony
Thanks
❤❤❤
that's very kind and generous of you. thank you!!
👍😊👍👍
Thank you Laurence, for the advice, I’m ready to try this, my Bee’s have more than doubled in the last three weeks, I have been feeding them still, the Queen is a beauty, I’m so pleased I got my very first nuke from you, thank you Laurence, they are so calm, everything I’ve learned about bee’s, has been what I have leaned from mostly watching your videos, I have never had a bee sting in my life, and I still haven’t so far 🤞😊, these bees (your bee’s )are amazing 🤗, so Thank you again Laurence 🙂
I hope all is going well with baby Lily and all the family ❤️🤗 take care
@@tapestryofsoulsbaker4805 Ah that's amazing. I'm glad the bees are doing well. sounds like you doing a fab job of looking after them and I'm glad the videos are useful for you
They really are Laurence 🤗, I’m so pleased with them, I have wanted bee’s for years and watching your videos helped me make the decision to get them, and I’m so glad I did, and I can’t say enough about these bee’s I got from you, they really are amazing 🙂, take care Billie
what time of the season would you carry out checker boarding ??
Are you able to send Buckfast queens to the US?
How much comb honey is produced by a good colony in a season
Do a comparison of two hives over 3 months and feed them the same amount. I bet the checkerboarded hive falls behind over time.
Is this how colonies get chalkbrood?
That's why I always leave a frame with a starter strip at the edge. If bees start building it, that's a sign that the colony could handle expansion such adding a box or checkerboard.
It doesn't matter how much the hive is packed with bees, if they didn't start building that frame. It means that they are not ready.
Hay L question you do thiis when there is a flow. spring. here is virginia i seperate the brood with drawn comb as a swarm mangerment. do you do this doing your spring build up. with a flow on. Thanks have a blessed week if u are in a dearth this will not work will it. I am in a dearth now the flow is over thanks have a blessed week
What happened to the ultra suit? No stings from the new bees so no need for the Ultra..?
it was messing up the video exposure as so white but also bees are pretty chilled and it's not been above 15c 😂
@@BlackMountainHoney ahhh, ok. Ultra suit for me every time!