# Brood Brake + brood trapping for varroa control



## Eduardo Gomes (Nov 10, 2014)

Hi Pedro

In Portugal (very different climate of Sweden) I 've used the procedures described in step 1 in late March, in April and in May and what I have seen very often is that the varroa levels in October are high.

Artificial swarms produced in June and July, and not at all, have low rates of varroa in October/November .

My observations are that the artificial swarm and broodbrake in my hives is a measure that not results often and in all circumstances.

I never used the technic described in step 2. I have idea that will disrupt the balance between new and older bees bees and compromise the wintering swarm, but I may be wrong.


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## Adrian Quiney WI (Sep 14, 2007)

Question 1)
Have you read this man's work? http://www.mdasplitter.com/
I have been using Mel's method to make new colonies, and have found it works reliably for me. I then use Michael Palmer's nuc principles to grow the colony into a 5 over 5 frame colony for wintering. Here in Wisconsin we have a similar climate to yours.

Question 2)
I have not done this.


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## Pedro Blom (Feb 25, 2015)

Adrian Quiney WI said:


> Question 1)
> Have you read this man's work? http://www.mdasplitter.com/
> I have been using Mel's method to make new colonies, and have found it works reliably for me. I then use Michael Palmer's nuc principles to grow the colony into a 5 over 5 frame colony for wintering. Here in Wisconsin we have a similar climate to yours.


Yes, I have his book, and I tried his method last season. I also mailed him and we tailored the method to fit for my local conditions. Becouse of the short season I only make one split. I see it as making an artificial swarm.


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## Andrey Limonchenko (Mar 29, 2013)

I have done the first method and found that if I don't inspect the parent hive completely it will swarm because of multiple queen cell that I didn't account for as well as don't produce honey. But it is very relative to the timing of the flow and the swarm season as mentioned.


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## Eduardo Gomes (Nov 10, 2014)

Andrey Limonchenko said:


> I have done the first method and found that if I don't inspect the parent hive completely it will swarm because of multiple queen cell that I didn't account for as well as don't produce honey. But it is very relative to the timing of the flow and the swarm season as mentioned.


It happened the same to me in some colonies. I let them with 7 to 8 frames of bees, 4 to 5 frames with brood and some swarming. It must check and leave only 2 queens cells in my opinion.


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