# Opening the Sides of the Broodnest



## MattDavey (Dec 16, 2011)

I've been doing more testing with Opening the Sides of the Broodnest with three of my hives that each overwintered in a single 10 frame deep.

First year beekeepers usually don't have spare drawn comb, so this appears to be working well in getting comb drawn before swarm season.

Swarm season has started here, my wife saw one fly past at her friends place yesterday. But my hives are still in expansion mode.


*Opening the sides of the brood nest:*

Essentially it involves two steps.

1. Move both outside frames up into a new box (make sure there are no eggs or brood) with a new frame inbetween them.

2. Insert a new frame inbetween the outside of the brood nest frames and frames of honey/nectar/pollen. On both sides.


*More detail:*

When daily maximum temperatures start getting to 15°C /59°F (After cherries have flowered) go into the hive and move the two outside frames up into a new box in the centre. I've found that a new frame in between these two drawn frames works well (make sure there are no eggs in these frames.) Then find the outside edge of the brood nest. Insert a new frame on each side the outer edge of the brood nest.

So the bees now have three new frames that they will work on. The new frames I use only have a strip of foundation. This is because an empty space encourages comb building much more than a sheet of foundation.

Before
HHBBBBBHHH

After
EEEHEHEEEE
HEBBBBBEHH

Give them about 3 weeks, at most 4 weeks to draw these out.

Then go into the hive and again move the outside frames into the top box. Then find the outside of the brood nest (The queen may have now laid eggs in the top box as well.) Insert new frames on the outside edges of the brood nest (in both boxes.) You can now effectively checkerboard the frames that are only nectar/honey. The new frames will be drawn out over the next few weeks.

Before
EEENBNEEEE
HBBBBBBBHH

After
HENEBENEHE
EBBBBBBBEH

But if I waited longer the hives were more like this, so I put on another super:

Before
ENNBBBNNEE
NBBBBBBBNH

After
EEENENEEEE
NNEBBBENNE
EBBBBBBBEH


So you can repeat again putting frames into a super (assuming you use all the same size frames.) They should now have a number of frames that only contain mostly nectar. You can just move a few of these up into the super. Always move at least 2 frames up into a new box with a new frame inbetween them.

E - Empty New Frame
B - Mostly Brood
H - Mostly Honey
N - Mostly Nectar

My area has a fairly slow spring buildup, so it may not work as effectively if you have a fast buildup.


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

What is your typical time interval between manipulations?

Crazy Roland


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## gone2seed (Sep 18, 2011)

We are going into winter shutdown mode here but this looks like a keeper for springtime.Very few of us ever have as much drawn comb as we would like for expansion.Thanks for posting this.


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## Daniel Y (Sep 12, 2011)

Matthew, I want to try and point out some distinctions I have noticed. I always get stuck on your 4 weeks wait after the first manipulation. I realize it may be very true for you and that you have a slower build up. I have seen much faster results with pretty much the same process. I have a couple of thoughts on what might influence that.

I start with a 5 frame nuc. But one of the things I make sure of is that the 5 frame nuc is very strong. threatening to swarm strong. I have read and believe I have seen for myself that the addition of empty space can be over done. resulting what I call demoralizing the bees. Demoralization can be recognized by lack luster drawing of comb. I believe you may be seeing eh difference for yourself in the examples above where you say you leave the bees a little longer and return to find two full boxes drawn.

What do you find two boxes of bees are able to do when you add the third box? is there an improvement in there rate of drawing comb?

Since I work with 5 strong frames of bees being added to a 10 frame box I start with this

EEEHBBBHEE

Not so much for you but for others. It was almost immediately apparent to me that regardless of all those empty frames. the bees did not recognize anything beyond those outside frames of honey as there hive. They may at best start drawing a small shallow area of comb on the side of the empty frame facing the honey frames. and they would do that very slowly. So I now place the frames in the 10 frame box like this.

EEHEBBBEHE

I want to make another point I observed here. notice the brood nest is favored to one side of the hive. I think this makes a difference. I noticed in all my hive last spring that during early build up they favor one side to another. certainly in regard to East and West. By observing full size hives I am able to determine which direction to favor for the nuc. Last spring it was to the East.

I also find the bees need only a week to draw out these two new frames. They will only be partially drawn but I will often find brood in them in a matter of days. In one week it is common for me to find.

ESHBBBBBHS

In the above S equals a frame they have started drawing comb on. At this point I arrange the frames as

HSEBBBBBSH

I have been criticized for this last manipulation because some think I just separated the brood from the honey. Since I have seen the bees do this themselves it does not concern me. as well as the fact that each frame of brood contains it's own supply of honey and pollen.

Those two fraems to the West side of the hive are always the last to be drawn and they seem to be lethargic about it. SO in another week I typically will find.

HBSBBBBBBH

That last S frame can be almost anything from just slightly drawn cob to partially drawn with some brood in it. the bees will often fill it with nectar. So depending on what the bees do with it I will either leave it on the following week or or move it outward toward the honey frame.

Also it is at this time I consider this box 80% filled which is my requirement before adding any other boxes. I then add a box on top but it is a med depth. This is where I run into trouble with the moving up. Since I do have some drawn fraems i am able to place two drawn fraems with an empty frame between them in the center just as you describe. again paying attention to which side of the hive the bees tend to favor.

In this case I would have
EEEEDEDEEE
HBSBBBBBBH

D equals drawn empty frame. I know I break the rules. Otherwise I would stick with deeps and move up the honey frames as you describe. With this escweption or at least care taken in this detail.

EEEEHEHEEE The same
HEBBBBBBEH Notice empty fraems had to be added to lower box. place them inside next to brood nest. It does not matter that once again you separated brood from stores. the bees will do it themselves. You may find in fact somewhere in all this the bees split the lower brood nest.

This results in very short order I get
HEESBBBSEH
HBBBBBBBBH
Notice the bees have now started to define their hive footprint to the outside of the box as they move up. I notice they do this on their own. they now have the lower box to help guide this recognition is the best i can figure it. The expansion is still primarily from the center outward. Also at this point most frames are in some sort of condition of only partially drawn partially used and what they contain will be very random. The brood nest will still be mostly in the center. It is also common to now find the bottom box is actually brood from wall to wall. With only the outside faces of the outer frames containing honey.


At this point I am about 4 to 5 weeks into expansion By week 6 or 7 they will be ready for the next box. What the two boxes look like becomes even more random and specific to each colony. Btu In all cases the brood nest has moved up. pollen is starting to be stored below it honey over it and it has transformed into what I consider a colony. no longer a nuc. It is now ready and capable of production to a small degree.

It is complex now because the bees start arranging thing. but brood frames can become honey and visa versa over the nest 3 to 4 weeks. but typically I will be able to make the next box added as you have describe above. a full checkerboarding of frames with honey. I do not like to move any brood up to the third box. So depending on just how much honey is being stored I may do a full checkerboard or some slight modification of the center out side expansion again. By this time the hive should be clamoring to swarm.

So far I have done this with 3 nucs with consistent results. it is also the model that I use although modified to the swarm to expand 12 swarms. One I sold as a full size hive 30 days after capture.

I will have 11 nucs next spring provided they all survive and am very interested in continuing to track results of this build up method.


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## enjambres (Jun 30, 2013)

I am interested to know if anyone has used follower boards (in Langs) as a means of reducing the cavity-size during the early stages of this kind of manipulation. I observed the "discouragement" noted above when there's too much extra space on the edges. When I added boards, and removed some ignored and surplus empty outer frames, the pace of comb-building seemed to pick up. (Many other variables may have been in effect at that particular point, as well, of course.) Naturally if you're reducing the cavity intentionally one has to stay on top of the hive's expansion lest you inadvertently _promote_ swarming due to overcrowding.

Enj.


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## MattDavey (Dec 16, 2011)

Roland said:


> What is your typical time interval between manipulations?
> 
> Crazy Roland


I've been going in about every 4 weeks. Each time I found that they had drawn out more comb than I had expected. So Daniel is correct in that it could be done more often.

Every 3 weeks may be a better number, but if you have a faster buildup it could even be every 2 weeks.

Either way you should be able to have a full box of deep frames drawn before swarm season.


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## marshmasterpat (Jun 26, 2013)

Very enlighting. So you are watching for daily temperatures to hit the 59 degree range before starting this. Do you think this is about the same everywhere for bees to start building (assuming food and supplies are available.).


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## heaflaw (Feb 26, 2007)

I usually do similar manipulations but not to this detail. The difference is I took a honey frames from the outsides but slid the other frames over one space and added foundation comb in the very center of the brood nest. Is adding them between brood and honey better?


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

Try 14 days instead. You can keep a better eye out for queen cells. We manipulate frames alot, and find that 14 days sets up a different brood turnover. We are using only one deep, then an excluder, and have gone so far as to alternate foundation and brood in the bottom box. 

Crazy Roland


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## MattDavey (Dec 16, 2011)

marshmasterpat said:


> So you are watching for daily temperatures to hit the 59 degree range before starting this. Do you think this is about the same everywhere for bees to start building (assuming food and supplies are available.).


The temperature is a guide to when you can go into the hive. It's when the bees are able to forage every day and fruit trees are flowering. But it's also the stage that the hive is at that is just as important. With a 10 frame deep box, I'm looking for at least 5-6 frames of brood and at least 3 frames with a decent amount of capped honey. If they don't have a good amount of stores, you are just going to stress them and if bad weather sets in, even cause starvation because they will use up the honey making wax. If they don't have that you should wait. Also, as Daniel said, (thanks Daniel for the detailed response) the hive should look full, with bees covering all frames. Look at the weather forecast for the next week. A few days of good weather will enable them to forage and get more stores in, whilst the wax makers get busy.

With different overwintering configurations you have different conditions to look for. In general I would say 2/3 brood, 1/3 honey.

5 frame Nuc - 3 frames with brood, 2 with honey
8 frame (double) Nuc - 5 frames with brood, 3 with honey
10 frame deep - 6 frames with brood, 3-4 with honey
Double deep - several frames with brood, 4 or more with honey

I believe this could be applied in many environments, that have winter temperatures below 13°C/55°F (this or below bees will cluster.)


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## MattDavey (Dec 16, 2011)

I am intentionally not moving frames with brood on them, or inserting new frames between brood for two reasons. Avoiding queen cells being built and avoiding chilling of brood.

I've found, as Roland stated, that Opening the Broodnest can unintentionally cause queen cells to be built.

This is because a group of Nurse Bees can become isolated from the Queen because of the empty frame inbetween them. Even if it's for a few hours, it causes them to start building emergency queen cells/supersedure queen cells because of the reduced queen pheromone they experience.

Inserting new frames also forces the bees to have to cover a larger area in order to heat the Broodnest. So if bad weather sets in you can have chilled brood.


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## Daniel Y (Sep 12, 2011)

marshmasterpat said:


> Very enlighting. So you are watching for daily temperatures to hit the 59 degree range before starting this. Do you think this is about the same everywhere for bees to start building (assuming food and supplies are available.).


I can't say for everywhere. I have lived in enough places to know that cold in Kansas or Missouri is not the same thing as cold here in Nevada.

I can say this. Last spring my bees where under way when outside temps where still in the 40's low 50's But we have bright sun every day so hives woudl be much warmer on the inside. A bright sunny day in Kansas woudl still be bitter cold high humidity sucking any warm out of the air and probably windy enough to cancel out any solar gain.

Basically 40 that feels 40 probably means 40. but we can get 40 that feels like 55 if you stand in the sun.


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## Daniel Y (Sep 12, 2011)

heaflaw said:


> I usually do similar manipulations but not to this detail. The difference is I took a honey frames from the outsides but slid the other frames over one space and added foundation comb in the very center of the brood nest. Is adding them between brood and honey better?



I have been told not to split the brood nest. I have also seen the bees do it themselves. I tend to listen to the bees. I will say that for me if I place the empty foundation next to the brood nest I am more likely to see brood laid in it. the queen will actually be laying eggs in the comb as it is getting drawn. If I place a frame in the brood nest it is often filled with nectar.

It has seemed to me that the bees do have a definite reaction to the placement of the frame. I describe it as the bees hate an empty space in their nest. and they will fill it with a vengeance. So much so that I am cautious about just how far I push it. I fell I could disrupt the entire hive. I believe they would starve themselves to get that space filled. Due to this I carefully monitor the stores during this time. You want to see a honey build up. it may only be slight but you want confirmation that they have what they need to work plus some.


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## Saltybee (Feb 9, 2012)

I've put empties in the brood nest and had them laying eggs 3 days later. Also had them leave it untouched and move to one side or the other and abandon the other side.

I believe it was camero7 who said it when it sunk into my head; feeding pollen sub makes wax when you would not expect it.


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## heaflaw (Feb 26, 2007)

Thanks Matt and Daniel. I makes perfect sense.


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## MattDavey (Dec 16, 2011)

Purpose:

A method for new beekeepers who don't have any spare empty comb coming into spring. To get at least a full deep box of comb built before swarm season, to help reduce swarming and to get a honey crop.


Objectives:

1. Develop wax makers well before swarm season.

2. Maintain wax making throughout swarm season and well into the main flow.


Main points:


 Does not touch the broodnest, so it doesn't force bees to cover a larger area than they are able to cover.
 The bees still have direct access to the frames that were beside the brood nest, but now they are above instead. Not a problem, when heat rises.
 The bees can build the comb in their own time, but the empty space gives them an incentive to build comb.
 Develops comb building before swarm season, which helps to reduce swarming. Due to extra comb for nectar storage and using up of nectar to make wax.
 Enlarges the size of the brood nest when the bees would usually be reducing it by backfilling, because the queen lays in empty comb as it is being built.


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## MattDavey (Dec 16, 2011)

There has also been a detailed discussion involving Opening the Sides here: http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?290814-Swarm-managment


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## MattDavey (Dec 16, 2011)

Here is a example of a new frame of comb being drawn out:










As you can see it is mainly worker cells and there are several cells already with pollen in them. It's hard to see with the quality of this photo, but it looks like there are a few patches of very young larvae in the middle section. (The cells look cloudy in the bottom and there are groups of bees on them.)

This was a new frame on the edge of the new box that was added on top of an overwintered brood box. It had brood in the frame next to it.

Below is a frame from closer to the middle of the new box. It was one of the first frames drawn out, so it has more drone cells on it.


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## MattDavey (Dec 16, 2011)

Just a note on Pollen.

It seems that all frames that have EVER had brood in them get a good deal of pollen in them. (With my bees anyway.) Even old brood frames moved up into a super get pollen stored in them. (I use both bottom and top entrances, not sure if that has an effect.)

At the time of year I do these manipulations (early spring) there is a lot of pollen coming in.

Also, all frames in the brood box have had brood in them at one stage. This is because of moving the outside frames up until the whole brood box is filled with brood frames. So by default they have a good amount of pollen in them going into winter.

So any frames moved up into a new box, also have a good amount of pollen on them.


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## heaflaw (Feb 26, 2007)

Going back to why you guys add frames to the side of nest instead of center: Would sides not encourage drone comb vs center all worker. Is this an effect of timing with flow?


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## MattDavey (Dec 16, 2011)

I haven't seen excessive amounts of drone comb, as they are still expanding the brood nest at that time. The new frames are added beside existing brood frames but the frame on the outer side may also have had brood in it the previous season.

I have noticed that when drone brood reaches a certain level, say about 20%, it seems the main focus switches back to worker size comb in the brood nest. They even tare down drone comb and remake it as worker comb.

Notice in the previous two photos that the middle frame (the one with capped brood) is about 2/3 worker cells at the top and 1/3 drone cells at the bottom. But the newly drawn frame was actually on the outside of the box and it is just about all worker cells. Usually an outside frame would have a lot of drone cells. So because they were still expanding the brood nest the comb was built as worker cells.

Having a strip of foundation as a comb guide also helps in reducing drone comb. This is what those frames started out like:


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## AramF (Sep 23, 2010)

Daniel,

Thank you for the thorough write-out of your method. I think I might try it this year. I do have a question. Let's assume that you have a deep+medium hive. And you want to replace 4 deep frames. How would you address that? Move the medium to another hive and then do the manipulations as described, or keep the medium on. I think that they will ignore those new deep foundation-frames as long as they can, given that the queen has places to lay upstairs, but I am open to feedback.


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## Daniel Y (Sep 12, 2011)

Aram, I have in fact had to add deeps to my hive for various reasons. Mainly due to having removed frames from the brood nest to place in a queen castle or make up one frame or so for a 5 frame nuc. The manipulation I would be done with the exact same considerations as expanding the nest. The Medium is not interfered with and the new empty frames woudl simply be placed next to the brood in the deep but inside the outer fraems of honey. How the bees respond to this varies depending on the time of year and the other activities that are going on. so take consideration that if you want bees to draw a replacement frame that they will be in any mood to do so.

I have actually taken frames from a medium box if that is where I have found brood and placed them in deep queen castles or even deep nucs. bees will simply continue to build comb below the bottom bar that way but that can be removed later if needed. So I have the option to move medium frames to a deep box. but am not able to move deeps to medium equipment. This can be a problem at times but at least limits that problem to only on size of frame.


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## MattDavey (Dec 16, 2011)

Aram, I would just use the medium frames to Open the Sides. If the Broodnest is partly in the Medium, just follow the method as described.

If the broodnest is only in the deep, consider this: If you think about it, the "Sides" includes ABOVE the Broodnest. Think of the Broodnest as a sphere like a whole watermelon. Where the red flesh is the Broodnest and the white flesh is honey.

So take two frames from the medium that are directly above the Broodnest (but not next to each other). Then place these into a new medium box above, in the same positions as they were. So each of these two frames are directly above the two holes in the Broodnest.


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## AramF (Sep 23, 2010)

Matt, I am sorry, I don't understand the last part of your post at all.


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## MattDavey (Dec 16, 2011)

So lets say for example the hive in early spring looks like this (Deep on the bottom, Medium on top):


CCHHHHHHCC - Medium
HNBBBBBNNH - Deep


You remove two frames from the medium box that are above the brood frames and place them into a new medium box in the same position. Then put the new medium box on top of the hive. Don't have two empty frames next to each other when they directly above the brood. So it would look like this (I have made the frames involved BOLD):


EEE*H*E*H*EEEE - Medium
CCH*E*H*E*HHCC - Medium
HNBBBBBNNH - Deep


B - Mostly Brood
C - Mostly Empty Comb
E - Empty New Frame
H - Mostly Honey
N - Mostly Nectar/Pollen


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## rhaldridge (Dec 17, 2012)

Matt, have you seen Les Crowder's book on top bar hives? He has detailed drawings and diagrams of what the long brood nest should look like, and where new bars (or in our case, frames) should be added, how stores and brood should be shuffled, and so on. If you haven't seen it, I think you'd find it interesting.


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## MattDavey (Dec 16, 2011)

I hadn't seen Les' book but found the first chapter sample here: http://www.scribd.com/mobile/doc/101046910

Also found this photo of a couple of diagrams in the book. Looks like he is doing a similar thing with putting a new bar(frame) next to the Broodnest and alternating honey frames with new frames.


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## MattDavey (Dec 16, 2011)

Thanks Walt for the endorsement!




wcubed said:


> I don't normally jump in on threads where the pros and cons of my observations are being discussed, but will make and exception here. I meant to endorse Matthew's "opening the sides" approach on two other recent threads discussing that trick.
> 
> Have spent considerable effort in trying to develope enough drawn comb in the first year to CB effectively in the second year. Drawn comb is a must for application of the CB concept. So far, had not found a way to generate enough drawn comb to get good results in the second season. If matthew's gimmick permits CB in the second year, I'm all for it. And I have no reason to believe it would not work, as advertised.
> 
> ...


Original thread is here: http://www.beesource.com/forums/sho...-quot-nectar-management-quot-manuscript/page2


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## rhaldridge (Dec 17, 2012)

MattDavey said:


> I hadn't seen Les' book but found the first chapter sample here: http://www.scribd.com/mobile/doc/101046910
> 
> Also found this photo of a couple of diagrams in the book. Looks like he is doing a similar thing with putting a new bar(frame) next to the Broodnest and alternating honey frames with new frames.


That's it. There are many pages of diagrams for various situations and seasons. I've found it very helpful, even though I have no top bar hives. The long hives probably have very similar needs.


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## MattDavey (Dec 16, 2011)

After some discussions about swarm prevention I would like to add the following: when the bees are leading up to swarm season they are working at the top of the broodnest, which is not necessarily at the top of the hive. So for swarm prevention you need to be looking at the top of the BROODNEST.


With Opening the Sides your focus is actually the SIDES of the broodnest. You want the broodnest to fill the whole width of the box. So your concern is the top box that the broodnest is IN.


Your focus should NOT be in the supers! That is just where you are storing the (empty) drawn comb until the bees decide to move up and start using it. The first one or two frames that are moved up will likely be robbed out and emptied. I've found you need to move up at least 2 frames, preferably 3 drawn frames into a new box (sometimes more), before the bees will move up and start using that box.


I don't use a queen excluder, so if the queen starts laying in the new box, that's not a problem. It actually helps to continue the process of Opening the Sides and getting more comb drawn.


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## dudelt (Mar 18, 2013)

MattDavey said:


> Purpose:
> 
> A method for new beekeepers who don't have any spare empty comb coming into spring. To get at least a full deep box of comb built before swarm season, to help reduce swarming and to get a honey crop.
> 
> ...


It seemed like a timely date to bring back this thread. I do have a quick question on this. It is very close to swarm season. Can I assume that if the hives are creating comb at an amazing rate that I should be relatively safe from swarming if I can keep them busy building comb? They do have upper and lower entrances and a pretty good maple flow going on.


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## MattDavey (Dec 16, 2011)

dudelt said:


> Can I assume that if the hives are creating comb at an amazing rate that I should be relatively safe from swarming if I can keep them busy building comb?


Yes, I believe that if bees are building comb they will not be interested in swarming.

This is because they are increasing the amount of empty comb for the queen to lay in and so increasing the size of the Broodnest, or increasing the amount of comb to store nectar. Either way there is less pressure on the Broodnest to cause it to decrease in size. Making wax also uses up more nectar.

The queen running out of space to lay eggs is the primary trigger for swarming. Opening the Sides of the Broodnest allows the queen to lay eggs in the comb as it is being built.


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## MattDavey (Dec 16, 2011)

Just a note, with new frames I now prefer to use a half sheet of foundation in the middle of the frame as Lauri Miller does.

This is because early in the season new comb is usually drone comb unless there is foundation to guide the bees to make worker size cells. The holes on each size of the foundation are needed to trigger wax making. Having drone comb on each side of the frame is not a big problem as this will get filled with stores for most of the year and the middle of the frame can be used for raising worker brood.


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## lharder (Mar 21, 2015)

Yes, a timely reminder. We have hit our 15 C, the apricots are blooming. A neighbor has a flowering cherry and the whole thing was humming with honey and bumble bees. 

I'll be checking the tops of the brood nest and adding an empty frame in the strongest hives this weekend. I've seen only one emerged drone thus far.


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## AdamBeal (Aug 28, 2013)

Matt I have just opened brood nest sides on some of my hives. Our flow starts slowly also and builds. Our flow lasts usually from April to mid June and swarm season is late April/early May. Itstarted earlier this year about 2 weeks ago roughly. I realize I need to go back in a couple of weeks and open up the sides again. How long do I need to keep opening up the brood nest, I assume until after the swarm season has passed? Is that when you stop doing this? 

Also I am using the frames of comb alongside the brood nest for splits this year but I assume at some point I will have a bunch of drawn deep frames left over after doing this for a few years what do you do with those harvest wax (just curious)?


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## dudelt (Mar 18, 2013)

Thank you Matt! This system really does a nice job of getting the bees to drawn new comb and getting them up into the next box without splitting up the brood.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

Les's book does have nice diagrams... but let's face it. It's a TBH, they're going to swarm anyway. 

The trouble is you can open up the sides of the broodnest in only one dimension in a TBH... the dimension they don't really care to work in.


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## MattDavey (Dec 16, 2011)

AdamBeal said:


> How long do I need to keep opening up the brood nest, I assume until after the swarm season has passed? Is that when you stop doing this?


Just do it during your normal swarm season, so around 3 times if doing it fortnightly with deeps.

After that the bees usually draw comb in the supers. I like to see that they continue drawing comb up until around the Summer Soltice.



AdamBeal said:


> ... I will have a bunch of drawn deep frames left over after doing this for a few years what do you do with those harvest wax (just curious)?


I usually do crush and strain, and give the wax to a friend who makes various products from it. Also I don't mind honey from old brood frames, it adds flavour.

So those empty frames can be used next season.


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## MattDavey (Dec 16, 2011)

jwcarlson said:


> The trouble is you can open up the sides of the broodnest in only one dimension in a TBH... the dimension they don't really care to work in.


I have been using the method in a couple of long hives as well and it works fine. I do super them before the main flow though.

It was the long hive that actually got me thinking about Opening the Sides of the Broodnest in the first place.


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## MattDavey (Dec 16, 2011)

After a number of discussions with people who have tried Opening the Sides of the Broodnest, it looks like a modification needs to be made if there is a fast and heavy flow in your area when Spring starts. Seems to be in places that have snow, and the transition between Winter and Spring is quite quick. I too would be reluctant to add partial frames while there is still snow around.

Apparently there is just too much nectar coming in and the wax makers either don't start or can't make enough empty comb to keep up in these areas.

Beekeekers in this situation are using empty DRAWN comb to Open the Sides of the Broodnest until this initial flow is over. This enables the Broodnest to be able to expand out sideways, without getting backfilled.

After this initial period has passed, then frames of Partial/Half sheet foundation can be used as per the method.

As a guide, I would start Opening the Sides of the Broodnest around half way through the period between Cherry blossoms and Apple blossoms. The period between these blossoms for me is quite long, around 2.5 months. If it is around 1 month for you then you initially may need to use drawn comb.


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## Daniel Y (Sep 12, 2011)

It would seem to me that if bees can gather nectar. they can have there hive opened up and expanded.


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