The purpose of rotating brood boxes is to reduce the chance of swarming. Because it is quick and easy, it is a favorite maneuver of commercial beekeepers or those with many colonies to handle. In that case, it is probably somewhat effective at reducing the swarm impulse, at least for a while. If you find your winter cluster is very small and easily fits in one box, you may want to remove the empty box until the hive regains strength and numbers. In the meantime, you have an opportunity to maintain that box, re-paint it, clean frames, replace frames, or do whatever needs to be done.
Great talk Rick
We are glad you enjoyed it!
I enjoyed the video, can you get rick to explain how he runs 2 queen hives with the double screen board. That would be great Thanks
Great suggestion! We will try to capture that in a a future video.
I want to hear about that too....maybe I'll have to go down and visit Rick again
excuse my ignorance but is the title on this video correct?
Shouldn't it be double screen and not titled as doubke frame?
This was a typo and has been fixed.
My question is why would you ever have to rotate your boxes I’ve always just kept my queen in the top and my grafts in the bottom
The purpose of rotating brood boxes is to reduce the chance of swarming. Because it is quick and easy, it is a favorite maneuver of commercial beekeepers or those with many colonies to handle. In that case, it is probably somewhat effective at reducing the swarm impulse, at least for a while.
If you find your winter cluster is very small and easily fits in one box, you may want to remove the empty box until the hive regains strength and numbers. In the meantime, you have an opportunity to maintain that box, re-paint it, clean frames, replace frames, or do whatever needs to be done.
Is it true that if a virgin goes out to mate when she comes back she will bring bees with her?