Snelgrove board

Does anyone use this board for swarm prevention and if so why

I use them. I find it the best way to deal with swarming on my double broods as they keep the hive as one unit until a new queen is produced and also keeps a complete foraging force so has little impact on honey production.
If you read bee craft then there was a very good article about using them. I think it was march or april edition last year I'll try and find it.
AB

I recently read Snelgrove's "Swarming.." book and decided to try it out this year. Made a Snelgrove Board which I'm quite pleased with.

The method as described in his book (do manipulation before any QCs) is quite like a Demaree, which is the method I use on cedar hives anyway, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. It just separates the older bees & queen from the nurse bees, and while the older bees get on with foraging the nurse bees make some queens.

The real reason I'm going to try it is because I made the board and I want to try it!

Very useful as stated above, the stack is kept as one unit under one roof, saving space and kit.

I use Snelgrove Board for swarming. g**gle The many uses for a Snellgrove board for a concise and informative article. if you want to make one there are plans with photos on Edinburgh'sbeekeepers association webbsite. I can even control swarming without finding queen or knocking down any queen cells! I know some beekeepers think there is a lot of faffing around with opening and closing doors but it's really very simple once you have read the above article and put it into practice. It also saves on equipment.

REDWOOD said:

Does anyone use this board for swarm prevention and if so why

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I have used the Snelgrove board for successful swarm control and following the method correctly, it works, although it is more convenient when your hives are in your garden not some miles away.

However there are easier methods using a split board that is similar to a Snelgrove board but with less doors. A door which opens & closes at the back on the top of the board and a door which also opens and closes at the front on the bottom of the board, the method is along the same lines as Snelgrove's.

REDWOOD said:

Does anyone use this board for swarm prevention and if so why

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I have limited space on my rooftop apiary, so using Snelgrove Boards makes sense. I am starting out this year, so fingers crossed !

Red

I also made one and used it successfully for a couple of seasons, finally gave it up after all the vertical lifting involved got too much - you can finish up with quite a big stack of boxes that all have to be removed to inspect the bottom bb!

fiftyjon said:

However there are easier methods using a split board that is similar to a Snelgrove board but with less doors. A door which opens & closes at the back on the top of the board and a door which also opens and closes at the front on the bottom of the board, the method is along the same lines as Snelgrove's.

Click to expand...

Any idea if there's a write up of this somewhere online?

fiftyjon said:

However there are easier methods using a split board that is similar to a Snelgrove board but with less doors. A door which opens & closes at the back on the top of the board and a door which also opens and closes at the front on the bottom of the board, the method is along the same lines as Snelgrove's.

Click to expand...

BeeJoyful said:

Any idea if there's a write up of this somewhere online?

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The was a write up in BeeCraft that was similar, Dan Basterfield wrote it.

The method I use is; when the colony has open queen cells, create an artificial swarm by placing the queen on the frame she is found removing any started queen cells in a new box on the original floor, fill with drawn comb or foundation, replace supers on top or put on at least two supers. Place the split board on top of the supers with the top entrance open and facing the same way as the original entrance, the other entrance on the board is closed. Put the original box on top, choosing an open cell to keep, destroying the others. After a week, check the bottom box does not have queen cells and the queen is still laying, turn the split board 180 degrees so the open top entrance is now on the opposite side and open the bottom entrance, any foragers from the top box will now reinforce the bottom colony. Go though the top box and select your chosen cell destroying the others, queen should emerge and then get mated, either combine them or use to make increase. Both colonies could then be left for three to four weeks unless there is a flow on and more supers are needed, you may also need to make sure there is some store in the top box.

Hope this helps.

I'v been reading this link and think I will make one before swarm season and give it a go, thanks for the relpies
http://www.wbka.com/pdf/a018themanyusesofasnelgroveboard.pdf

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I have tried snellgrove board but I do not like it. I prefer 2 separate false swarm hives. It is easier to nurse them separately.

My hives are big when they swarm. Usually they have 4 langstroths.

fiftyjon said:

The was a write up in BeeCraft that was similar, Dan Basterfield wrote it.

The method I use is; when the colony has open queen cells, create an artificial swarm by placing the queen on the frame she is found removing any started queen cells in a new box on the original floor, fill with drawn comb or foundation, replace supers on top or put on at least two supers. Place the split board on top of the supers with the top entrance open and facing the same way as the original entrance, the other entrance on the board is closed. Put the original box on top, choosing an open cell to keep, destroying the others. After a week, check the bottom box does not have queen cells and the queen is still laying, turn the split board 180 degrees so the open top entrance is now on the opposite side and open the bottom entrance, any foragers from the top box will now reinforce the bottom colony. Go though the top box and select your chosen cell destroying the others, queen should emerge and then get mated, either combine them or use to make increase. Both colonies could then be left for three to four weeks unless there is a flow on and more supers are needed, you may also need to make sure there is some store in the top box.

Hope this helps.

Click to expand...

This maybe the way you do it, but the article that Ken Basterfield wrote in Beecraft reads differently and i have successfully used the method that he described.

iveseenthings said:

I recently read Snelgrove's "Swarming.." book and decided to try it out this year. Made a Snelgrove Board which I'm quite pleased with.

The method as described in his book (do manipulation before any QCs) is quite like a Demaree, which is the method I use on cedar hives anyway, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. It just separates the older bees & queen from the nurse bees, and while the older bees get on with foraging the nurse bees make some queens.

The real reason I'm going to try it is because I made the board and I want to try it!

Click to expand...

I used Demaree last year on a couple of hives and liked the system apart from the trapping of drones in the top box I had a few hundred drones taking off from the frames when I lifted the roof quite a sight and sound. This year I will drill a top entrance.
I also have a couple of Snelgrove Boards and will try to put one into action this year as a test. As you say both systems are similar.

Yep, used one last year when a fast colony got a bit swarmy. I used it because I'd collected and housed 5 swarms & run out of stands, so it made sense to split vertically & keep the foraging strength up. It made reuniting a doddle too, 'cos the bees all smell the same when it comes to putting them back in the one box. Use is a lot easier than it sounds.

Tim1606 said:

This maybe the way you do it, but the article that Ken Basterfield wrote in Beecraft reads differently and i have successfully used the method that he described.

Click to expand...

I know but I wasn't describing the method in BeeCraft, just referenced it, as I stated but suggested Dan wrote it instead of Ken.

I just described a method that I used in response to BeeJoyful's request.

I have limited space on my rooftop apiary, so using Snelgrove Boards makes sense

djg

You have to remember that you still need somewhere to put all the boxes as you dismantle the stack. iirc my last Snelgrove finished up (starting from the bottom) bb, qe, super. super, super, snelgrove board, bb, qe, super, crownboard then roof.

All this stuff takes as much, if not more space than a second hive would../...

Could anybody scan the beecraft article so I can read it?

The guy I share my site with and who mentors me uses Snelgrove boards for swarm control. So it makes sense for me to try it also. I'm not very handy with tools but I got my husband to knock one together for me.

I use snelgrove boards for the reasons already mentioned, together with clipped wing queens as a swarm control method. Good point about the vertical size of the hive especially if you run with brood and a half. I use a caravan step so I am not over reaching myself as its easy to do your back in!