How many chickens in Eglu Cube

[Old Speckled Hen]

Anybody doing this?

Bailey exchange or Shook Swarm.

Is there any way of keeping the brood? Maybe shake queen and some bees into new box and put old brood box over the new with a QE and wait for the bees to hatch out before removing the old box. Is there a way you can do this? Will enough bees move up to care for brood?

It seems such a waste of brood if you're doing it to move rather than for varroa control.

[Guest]

No need to lose any brood. Nurse bees will always cover the brood. Just need it warm so they can draw comb quickly. Possibly a little feed to encourage them to start drawing the new foundation.

 

Bailey change?

 

Put occupied frames in the new box and move them out as they become unused?

(fill up space under deep frames or they will build wild comb rather than draw foundation)

 

You might want to do it at the time of an A/S, with or without increase?

 

Shook swarm and distribute the brood frames to other colonies? (Sort others later)

 

Buy frame extenders to convert deeps into jumbos?

 

If hugely strong, run a 'double brood' for the summer?

 

You can choose your timing, possibly after the OSR flow if you want a crop.

 

There you are. Take your pick (well decide when the time comes, and/or a suitable opportunity arises). There may be other variations.

 

Regards, RAB

[Old Speckled Hen]

Yes, I'm still thinking vertically rather than horizontally to the other two boxes.

No OSR here..........only sheep.

[piccyman]

i will have the same challenge soon, i was thinking of adding a block of wood underneath, to fill the space

Or allow the creation of extra wax and hopefully they will create drone brood, which if removed may lower the varroa