Upstairs Downstairs Bee Hive Intrance "Split Kit" ...so simple... Shipping Incl.

Description

** Invented, designed and built in the UK.
The biggest improvement in bee keeping for 170 years.
The split kit for one hive includes 4 x "Intrances", 4 x
ventilated
and blanking plugs,
1 x forstner bit, stainless screws, and fitting instructions.
There wont be many colonies for sale this year but its so easy to make your own split from an existing
hive without affecting honey production at a 1/5 of the the cost of a new colony.
The  “Upstairs Downstairs”  Split Kit:
The simplest way to split an established colony, over and over again.
Additional equipment needed:
1)
-
New BB
with 3 UD "Intrances" and ventilated bungs fitted
(Split kit fitted)
-Full of waxed frames
2)
-
Crown board with hole in it (no bee escape fitted)
3)
-
Queen Excluder
Process:
a)
Remove 2 or 3 frames from center of
New BB
a.
Open up existing hive and remove two (or 3) frames
i.
of Brood including
1.
N
ew eggs (stood up)
2.
Grubs
3.
A
ny bees on the frames
b.
Place in N
ew BB
b)
Reorganize frames in original box and replace the three frames
c)
Put a QE and crown board on top of original colony
d)
Put
New BB
on top and replace original qe/crown board/supers/roof.  Job done, no shaking bees everywhere and searching for the queen.
e)
For 24 hours close up all "Intrances" in the
New BB
then open up as weather/season permits and wait.
Queen cells will be created in one of the boxes and the Intrance will allow a new queen to exit to mate if the weather is fair after about 17-24 days.
f)
When the colony is established remove the
New BB
first thing in the morning or last thing at night and set up the new colony in its own hive.
Fit the ventilated plugs for 24 hours and then open up the new colony.
Notes:
It does not matter which box the queen is in, but it is simpler to manage if she is in the original one  (the new queen cells will be more easily seen in the new BB)
On inspection, If you find more than one viable queen cell then you can:
a)
add another QE and Crown board and BB on top of the two and
b)
repeat the process of moving some brood
Foraging and hence honey production will not be impinged and very soon foragers will be seen going in and out of both entrances.
Block the original entrance by turning the entrance block over to prevent wax moths, wasps and mice getting into the hive.
END
Why do we give the bees an entrance on the ground floor, like we have, when they have wings and we don't?
They build their colonies from the top down because they can fly, we build from the bottom up because we can't.
A Bottom entrance ONLY makes no sense. Lots of energy is spent carrying the forage up and down in the hive,
significantly affecting production.