Checkerboarding

Checkerboarding is a term that is applied when a beekeeper takes out old comb and puts in new comb that appears similar to a checkerboard, in that it is new, old, new, old...or dark, light, dark, light. However, the main principles of why we checkerboard have been misunderstood.
The reason we put foundation into a hive in a checkerboard fashion, as opposed to a few frames of foundation in a row is that it is easier to get each frame pulled to the correct dimensions.
Honey bees treat a cell used for honey storage different than one that is used to rear brood. It is easier for honey bees to utilize a honey cell that is deep rather than to build a new cell. A cell used to rear brood, however, has to be a specific depth, which is the length of a worker bee. Each comb has two sides, each of which is as deep as a worker bee, so each frame has a depth of twice that of a worker bee. Honey cells however, can be quite deep which is the principle behind using 8 or 9 frames in a ten frame honey super...so as to have the bees build the comb deeper in order to uncap the cells easier, while extracting.
So, checkerboard refers to the method in which we get frames pulled optimally. However, there is always a secondary goal in "checkerboarding". The secondary goals are usually either to cull comb or to make a split, both of which are a form of swarm prevention. In making a split, four to five frames are taken out of the donor hive and given a new hive body. In their replacement you can put frames of foundation in a checkerboard fashion to get those new frames pulled optimally. If you are inserting combs that are already pulled, there is no need to checkerboard.
The other reason to checkerboard is to replace old comb, which is what I am doing here. Honey comb over time gets laced with spores, fungus, bacteria and most importantly, pesticides. At some point, there is such a combination that it is unhealthy for the bees and you start to see "shotgun" patterned brood. There can be more than these reasons alone to see a shotgun brood pattern, but in this case those were ruled out. In this case I am sure that the comb is unhealthy for the bees, most probably because the beekeeper that started this hive used every recommended varroacide on the market at one time or another since 1998. I know, because I partnered with him and did it myself along side him. Since these combs need to be culled, checkerboarding is a great way to replace old comb and still keep the hive strong and healthy, while getting well built comb at the same time. I almost never take brood from a hive, but in this case it was unavoidable. Checkerboarding in this case will allow the hive to keep getting strong, get new and fresh comb in the hive and break up the brood cycle so as to further hamper the Varroa presence.
The main point to remember is that checkerboarding is done with brood comb...not honey comb. Checkerboarding a honey super does next to nothing for swarm prevention because it does not affect brood space. Also, when checkerboarding a honey super the comb will not be pulled optimally. You will have alternating heavy and light combs, at least the first year those combs are used.
If you need to rotate out old comb, this is a good method to use, but the draw back is that most hives have a hard time building up to make surplus honey in the year you do so, unless you only do a few frames a year. Start early in the spring and by the time the main honeyflow is on, you're hives will be ready to reap it in!
This hive had such bad comb that I thought it more important to get new fresh comb in this year, forego the honey crop and have a healthy and robust hive next year!