# Double Screen Board



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I have several of thiers (Brushy Mt.). Betterbee also makes one. They are a handy piece of equipment to have around. They can even work for a screened bottom board in a pinch, but are especially nice for introducing a nuc to a new hive or keeping a nuc warm in the early spring. Of course they are designed to be a "Snelgrove" board to use his (L.E. Snelgrove's) rather unique method of swarm control. However, I have not attempted to do that with them.


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## wayacoyote (Nov 3, 2003)

I don't have one, but have had plans for years to make some. Seems when I have the time, I don't have the care to. when I have the care to, I'm against the wall and don't have the time.


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## BerkeyDavid (Jan 29, 2004)

Waya, are you going to make one from the plans on this site? http://beesource.com/plans/scrnbrd.pdf

I think I will make one tomorrow, if anybody has any hints or advice let me know. THe jig worked so slick I am in the building mood. (plus its so d##n cold out there and so nice and sunny in the shop...)


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## Bill Ruble (Jan 2, 2006)

Ok, what is a double screen board used for? I have never seen one.


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## BerkeyDavid (Jan 29, 2004)

According to the Betterbee catalogue:

Double Screen, also called Snellgrove board, allows you to run a 2 queen hive. the double scren keeps the bees above from communicating with those below, while still permiiting the heat to circulate in the hive. 

THere are multiple entrances to permit you to add or subtract bees. from either the top or the bottom.

"We only recommend the use of a Double Screen to the professional hobbyist who has both te time and inclination to manipulate a hive for maximum population and production."

Now that is a good one: "profesional hobbyist"!

My definition: One who spends excessive time and money in pursuit of intangible and indefinable goals, under the guise of the profit motive.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

It's useful for many things. The double screen keeps the bees from each side from harming each other but lets the smells and heat through. So they can adapt to each other and a nuc on top can get some heat. I don't recommend it in a Northern climate when the weather is cold enough to make a lot of condensation. Snelgrove's method is a bit complicated to explain, but not really that complicated. Try a search online and you might find a good illustration of it.


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## drobbins (Jun 1, 2005)

another use I've heard of is to put it on top of the hive, then put a box with several frames of fresh eggs. 
the upper box get's the benefit of climate control from the hive below but since they can't pass QMP thru the double screen they think they're queenless. once the get some queen cells going you can split them up into mating nucs
I'm planning to try this to get a few queens this spring

comments on how to make this sucessfull appreciated

Dave


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## tecumseh (Apr 26, 2005)

bill ruble ask:
Ok, what is a double screen board used for?

tecumseh chimes in:
I use them for queen rearing purposes. they are handy for setting up queen right cell finishers.


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## wayacoyote (Nov 3, 2003)

David,
Yes, I was going to use the plans on this site which are very easy to follow.


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## BerkeyDavid (Jan 29, 2004)

Made up 3 on Sunday, no problem with the plans.


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## George Fergusson (May 19, 2005)

I made one yesterday, adapted the plans a bit to accomodate using 3/8" plywood instead of 1/4" so it's 1 3/8" tall instead of 1 1/4" and my lumber 7/8" but otherwise the same. Almost. Actually I cut the entrances at 45º so they're a tad bit narrower but I made them 1/4" longer. Came out well, all in all.

So, why all the entrances? I mean it looks cool, but realistically, what do you need 8 possible entrances? It seems you could get by with 2 entrances, one on either end on opposite sides and call it good?

I'm planning on building another one of these days after pondering some design changes.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>So, why all the entrances? I mean it looks cool, but realistically, what do you need 8 possible entrances? It seems you could get by with 2 entrances, one on either end on opposite sides and call it good?

It's a Snelgrove board. It's actual purpose was to run a two queen hive with one above the screen and one below to eliminate swarming while boosting the hive population. Basically you keep rotating which entrance actully goes where to keep fooling the bees into returning to the bottom box instead of the top one. Do a search on "Snelgrove" on the internet and maybe you can find a description of the full method. For the Snelgrove method you DO need all those entrances.


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## George Fergusson (May 19, 2005)

Ah I see I see!


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## George Fergusson (May 19, 2005)

Well I've actually found very little on the web about the Snelgrove method of swarm control. I found various attempts to explain it in simplified terms. Here's the best one:

http://www.derbyshire-bka.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Snelgrove_Swarm_Control_Method

I can only gather that it ain't the most popular swarm control method these days









I didn't initially build my double screen board as a swarm control tool. I've run across a number of different manipulations which called for one, everything from queen rearing applications to introducing nucs to making splits. So I thought I'd build one. Now I'm wondering more about it's original use.

I suppose I should look for a copy of Snelgrove's book. Has anyone here ever used a snelgrove board for swarm control utilizing snelgrove's method? Barring that, does anyone have any good links to the snelgrove method?


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## Dave W (Aug 3, 2002)

George Fergusson . . .
Here is some misc info, if any of its helpful, you owe me









DOUBLE-SCREEN (Snelgrove board, Division Screen or Board, Screen Board)
A rimmed, inner cover-size board containing two layers of screen (8x8 mesh) at least 1/2 apart so individual bees cannot pass queen substance from one side to bees on other side of screen [Ref 15,p89 and BC 5/04, p51]. Used to make an increase, split colony, or to start a 2-queen colony [Ref 15,p89].
Should have a 3/8" to 1/2" rim on top w/ a 1-1/2" opening in one end to provide an entrance for upper colony [ABJ, 3/06, p226].

Method #3 (Creates a 2-queen colony) - Frames of emerging brood and bees are placed over double-screen or adapted inner cover (allows heat from unit below to support development of colony above) and given a very small opening located at the back of parent colony (180o different). (Place double screen on new body w/ entrance to rear and place excluder on top of double screen for insurance [Ref 7, p27].) Upper colony is given a queen cell, a virgin queen, or a mated queen (depending on time of year). Such colonies are made up in late April to early May in northern states, and allowed to grow rapidly. When clover bloom is about to begin (or primary flow) double-screen is removed and colonies are combined via a sheet of newspaper. A single queen (usually the new one) is allowed to live while other (old) queen is removed. The combined population of 2 brood nests is now collecting one very large honey crop. This method works well when beekeeper has plenty of equipment, a relatively sure honey crop, and able to stack equipment quite high on hive stand. Unfortunately, in a summer dearth, this huge population is a lot of bees to feed [BC, 3/05, p45].


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## George Fergusson (May 19, 2005)

Well Dave, I already owe you









I'll assimilate your information after dinner, I can't think right now what with my stomach growling at me.

For what it's worth, I just found Snelgrove's book available from the Maine State Beekeeper's Association Lending Library. I guess that means I'll need to renew my dues........


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## George Fergusson (May 19, 2005)

I will probably NOT bother with getting Snelgrove's book, perhaps next winter I will when I'm bored. I did find sufficient information about Snelgrove's swarm management method over on BEE-L so I could decide it's not something I'm going to be trying anytime soon. It apparently is successful at keeping hives from swarming, but it's not without drawbacks, many of which are similar to those you'll have with any two queen hive. This isn't really the proper forum for an indepth discussion of Snelgrove's swarm managment method but we're discussing the hardware involved, might as well tack on some information about the method itself.



> Date: Mon, 25 Aug 1997 13:57:22 EDT
> Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology <[email protected]>
> Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology <[email protected]>
> From: Aaron Morris
> ...


Here's another that discusses some of the downsides:



> Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1998 10:51:34 EST
> Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology
> <[email protected]>
> Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology
> ...


There's more to be had on BEE-L but you get the gist of it.

George-


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## Bubbles (Jul 14, 2012)

This is a great thread to learn from even though the last entry was in 2006. I have now decided to use a Snelgrove board mainly to make splits. Thank you. :applause:

p.s. If anyone has more info to add, please do so. It really helps newbies like me.


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