Vertical A/S

Has anyone used the simplified snelgrove board as detailed in the Nov. B B K A Mag. I've room to expand from from 4 to 6 and the equipment is on it's way but I am thinking of vertical a/s for the other 2 and then reunite a.s.a.p.

Any info ,pros and cons etc. would be welcome.

Tim

Not that system but for the past couple of years a combination of horsely board / demaree has worked for me, but yet to try snelgrove although I have a couple of boards.

I see them as similar systems and also very adaptable, perhaps everyone I know who does similar also does it in a slightly different way, hence the article in the bbka mag.

I would read up on all three systems if I was you along with the bbka article, and a few blocks of timber and even paper representing broods, supers, division board of choice and queen excluders as they are handy as it can get a bit confusing at first. Its easier to practice on the kitchen table.

The biggest problem I have is not having total confidence in the old queen and flying bees in the bottom brood box are not still making queen cells and results in me dismantling the hive to inspect the bottom box. This is down to me only implementing the system when the bees are clearly starting queen cells and I use it as swarm control and strictly speaking, it should be used as swarm prevention and started before queen cells.

It works well for me less equipment great if space is tight it maintains a strong hive with options to split or reunite.

Thanks Tom,

Sorry for the slow response but my interweb (satellite) went belly up for a few hours, it must be raining in Turin.

Tim

Same as Tom, i have not used a Snelgrove but have used a Demarree or Split board with front, side 1 and side 2 entrances

i prefer the split board as simpler but you have to be tall and strong with either method to lift a full 14x12 brood box ontop of a second 14x12 brood and two or three supers

I've use hand made snellgrove boards to do splits. Used plans from Edinburgh Beekeepers association website. very easy to do and has photos as well. Google "The many uses of a Snellgrove Board" for an excellent PDF article on what you can do with a Snellgrove Board. People say it's complicated but that's a myth. I do not bother to examine the bottom brood box once I have done the split ( Just make sure that there are no queen cells beforehand) and so far not lost a swarm. The heat from the bottom brood box helps the top one. For those who work full time and frequently at weekends it is a useful tool.

I think I'll be trying the snelgrove board this year on one of my hives, however it is also a hive that badly needs a Bailey frame change first thing in springtime... My question is, and I'm hoping for some advice if possible please, would I have enough time to carry out the Bailey frame change then set up the snelgrove without causing untold disruption to the hive?... Or would it be best to do just one procedure and not both, one after the other?.. Sorry if this is a simple question but not tried before and would appreciate some advice from somebody who has done both before, thanks

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Wonder why you might want to do a bailey change when you could use fresh frames later with demaree. I can't believe they need new frames in spring that badly! Just change a few frames if they are that desperate but in any case I wouldn't personally do both unless they were a really strong hive. Depends on weather and flow etc.
E

fred scuttle said:

I think I'll be trying the snelgrove board this year on one of my hives, however it is also a hive that badly needs a Bailey frame change first thing in springtime... My question is, and I'm hoping for some advice if possible please, would I have enough time to carry out the Bailey frame change then set up the snelgrove without causing untold disruption to the hive?... Or would it be best to do just one procedure and not both, one after the other?.. Sorry if this is a simple question but not tried before and would appreciate some advice from somebody who has done both before, thanks

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Click to expand...

If you have drawn comb in two supers here's how I would go about it

First the split this needs to be done before any swarming preparations have taken place normally you would have the bees on two broodboxes before hand but you probably have the bees in a single box.
So split the bees by taking all the brood into a second broodbox above a queen excluder ,leave the queen and a small patch of brood below the queen excluder.
She needs a few empty frames to lay in the rest can be foundation
Leave for at least 1 day to let the brood and wax drawing bees sort themselves out.
Take the top box off leave the queen excluder put two drawn super boxes above the queen excluder
Put the Snelgrove board on top of the supers put the top box back on and open door 1 to give the top box an entrance/exit
Just follow the recommended pattern of closing the upper and opening the lower doors.

The bees in the bottom will be doing two things drawing wax and storing honey.
You need drawn supers as the only place they can store honey otherwise is in the few brood combs which the queen needs to lay in
You need a flow -- Oil Seed Rape is ideal
Up top the bees are periodically being redirected to the bottom so watch out up there for starvation they have no field bees but fotunately all the brood will be sealed soon and so need less.
They will have started queen cells just leave them they will choose the best one and with luck she will hatch fly and be mated.
Watch the timing of the doors because you do not want to change the entrance close to the queen hatching date, otherwise she may orient on one entrance which you then close and after a mating flight she ends up in the supers

The wax drawing will continue in the bottom box while there is a flow and all the bees bled from the top will be entering through the supers where they will leave the nectar not blocking up the brood nest

Because the laying space in the bottom is more restricted the risk of a swarm is greater but that can't be helped because for a month after putting in the board it's best not to disamantle the hive
Check there are queen cells in the top box then wait till they should have hatched add ten more days for mating before a making quick check for eggs in the top
Once that has happened have a look and see how the wax drawing has come along in the bottom
The old frames in the top box will be mostly empty now so you want your old queen from the bottom in a nuc with the old frames from top and bottom with eggs
Your young queen in the box which has the new wax plus any eggs and brood laid in there

Hope that helps

Excellent revision notes DR - I have printed this off and will employ this season instead of my customary Bailey comb exchange.

Useful post DR.
Thanks.