BBKA Forum

British Beekeepers Association Official Forum 

  • FAO Nigel.. Snelgrove 2 ..

  • General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
 #11127  by JoJo36
 10 Jun 2021, 17:36
I think it may be the slow start to spring with a month of bad weather last month!!
Two of my hives have been swarmy also with italian queens from last year, one a supercedure and the other a purchase online! They were a lovely temperament but yesterday were totally nuts!!
I used "Nigel's" snelgrove 2 adapted version which worked for the first hive, but need the board and brood box for the next one! I re-united after a week so will keep an eye out for that one.
I then used the adapted one for the other sweaty hive and hopefully, fingers crossed it will work again??!!
They pulled down queen cells in the brood box with queen (I pulled a few before procedure too) and the bees underneath tried to make a new queen, which I pulled the queen cells to stop this and now only sealed brood left (I think)!!
I have limited space too and to have a temporary stack is easier than faffing around looking for another good spot to put a nuc??!!
 #11139  by Bobbysbees
 11 Jun 2021, 15:27
Thanks JoJo that gives me a bit more confidence that I'm on the right path .
Its not that I doubt people its just that it "Too easy" and anything that sounds too good to be true often is lol
 #11143  by JoJo36
 11 Jun 2021, 18:52
No worries :)

I've made loads of mistakes over the last few years and sometimes 'trial and error' works, sometimes it doesn't but you do remember what not to do next time (usually not always in my case)!!!!
Remember there is never just one way to carry out a particular job, quick easy routes seem to stick with me!!
 #11179  by NigelP
 14 Jun 2021, 12:34
Just to update on uniting colonies after 1 week....give them longer....
Of the 4 I united after 7 days of the modified Snelgrove 2, 2 have queen cells in abundance. So they are now separated again....I'll stick to 10-14 days.
Other 2 are fine.
 #11181  by JoJo36
 14 Jun 2021, 12:54
Thanks for tip, will definitely do this on my latest snelgrove 2 adapted one and check on my united last week as that colony is still very tetchy??!! At least my spare brood box arrived!!
 #11182  by Bobbysbees
 14 Jun 2021, 14:45
Thanks Nigel if it doesn't work on my former good girls (who are now utter and total psychopaths). I might have to get shot of them.
Requeening may work but will take too long and my other half has told me they are going one way or the other.
She is not above sticking the whole box in the car and driving out into the cheviots and shaking the whole box out.
Its that or somebody takes them off my hands. But they might need more experience than me to get them to come right.
I did consider just sealing them up in the hive but I just cant do it and the last thing i want is them to throw a swarm off and someone end up getting hurt. But I don't even like euthanizing Queens never mind a whole hive.
 #11188  by NigelP
 14 Jun 2021, 17:54
If you were closer you could happily bring them to one of my apiary sites.
 #11250  by JoJo36
 17 Jun 2021, 20:15
Well my hive 1 with a snelgrove board has still lots of queen cells, some loaded others not!
However, this hive has a huge amount of bees and is literally 'full up' so I am thinking maybe the bees are just producing these as their simply isn't enough room??!!
So, I've joined the brood boxes together to see if they settle down on a double brood. I will check again in about 4 days time to see if they stop producing swarm cells, if not then I'm thinking of either snelgroving again but giving the brood box with queen a super for room and a super for the one below??!!
My other hive I snelgroved is very quiet now and not much going on to be truthful, not loads of anything!!
Farmers one is again quiet and really slow to build up, hmm.................
 #11252  by Bobbysbees
 17 Jun 2021, 22:18
I might tr4y adding a super to the top box but as they were already on a double brood when I did it
Its going to end up huge at this rate i might have to drop it down onto a pallet rather than a stand
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 7