Checkerboarding (More Honey, Fewer Swarms)- Dick Brickner Interview

Dick Brickner was kind enough to walk me through his checkerboarding method. Dick has been successful at preventing reproductive swarming with this technique, while also keeping hive numbers stable, and doubling the state average honey production.
I have seen several methods of checkerboarding and hope to document more over time. Dick's method is labor intensive, but it works for him.
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[@DuckRiverHoney]

I've gotten a lot of questions about the timing of honey harvest and why boxes get stacked so high. Nectar is roughly 80% moisture and honey is less than 18.6% (ideally less than 18%). The bees have to dry the nectar down until it is shelf stable. Too much moisture and it can ferment. So you can harvest more often, as long as the honey is ready. Watch this video for more info. kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4DUd6ppnaZ3qJo

[@dallasseaborn8921]

Dick is a wealth of knowledge . Any time he makes a post on Facebook I pay attention. Lucky to have such a prolific keeper close enough that his data is utilized in my apiary.

[@randallcarter-carterhillho2277]

Thank you Nathan, i enjoyed every second of this. I have never got to hear from another beekeeper doing walt wright's checkerboarding about as long as i have and successfully. This was great stuff.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Randall I know your method is a little different. I’d love to get down there sometime and document yours as well.

[@randallcarter-carterhillho2277]

@@DuckRiverHoney It is a little different but very similar results. I would love to chat with him a few minutes just to compare thoughts and techniques and bounce ideas off of him. I will honestly probably watch this video about 4-5 times to try to take it all in and add something to what i do to make it better.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

What I’d like to know is how to manipulate the maneuvers to get the least amount of work, a 5-20% swarm rate, and good honey production. That sounds like a winning combo.

[@outsidemom]

I kinda do this, but I just keep checkerboarding as I go up. I never thought to keep doing it underneath with the FIRST honey super. I cannot WAIT to try it this spring. It's going to be a LOT of work, but I can't wait. Awesome video!

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks!

[@oneshoo]

Nathan that was an outstanding video! I am a backyard beek (rooftop) with 6 colonies. I run single and double deeps, but I think I can incorporate this method with med supers when swarming season begins. I am definitely gonna give this method a try. I have a fairly decent amount of drawn comb to give it a try. Thanks again! 👍👍

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Hope it helps, thanks!

[@jhulin9018]

Excellent! Really appreciate you consistently stating the context and tradeoffs of the methods you demonstrate. You covered not only how to do checkerboarding but the driver and tradeoffs (e.g. honey production over colony production). After watching this I would describe checkerboarding as a "vertical expansion technique" (increase bee population within a colony to dramatically increase honey production/density) versus the more typical/commercial "horizontal expansion technique" (more colonies via splits). Thanks again

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks!

[@JustBePrePared]

Great info again. I’m learning so much about our Tn flow. It’s great having guys like you and Dick willing to share your knowledge.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks, very kind of you.

[@markwelsch940]

Thanks for a great video showing exactly how the checkerboarding system works. I can make the same amount of honey (or maybe more) from half as many hives. I have started to use this system late this year! Because I'm a small operator with ten hives and my own 9 frame, HillCo extractor, I think I'll extract when I have three or four honey supers on the hives. This will reduce the amount of equipment I have to buy/make.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

👍

[@beebum1909]

Thank you, that is quite possibly the best in-depth explanation of checker boarding that I've ever heard.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks, hope it helps

[@MikeBarryBees]

Again, true checker boarding. Not what a lot of folks do when they say they’re checker boarding. This is similar to checker boarding in a rose hive...he and I think a lot alike and our schedules are similar. Might even tackle this method on some hives, equipment dependent of course. Did something similar around years 5 and 6 and had tall stacks. But I got lazy. This man is a wealth of knowledge.

[@highlandhoneybee]

Excellent, easy to follow demonstration of checkerboarding. Though it takes some work, it looks to be just the ticket for serious small-scale honey production. Cheers.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks!

[@russellkoopman3004]

Thanks Nathan, Great teaching there. I never understood checker boarding but this makes sense. Good job again.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Russell

[@Peter_Gunn]

Thanks for sharing. It's nice to hear people's tips from the same area of Tennessee. Looking forward to your next one.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Peter, I like seeing different ways to do things.

[@davidsanbeg2335]

A very informative video. I run up to 50 hives and as you've stated, we always have attrition. We're actually down to 20 some hives this Winter. I'm going to try this method on a couple hives. The only thing I'm going to change is using a deep and a medium below the QE. I have to many deeps, but mainly I have to much invested in deep frame-feeders. If it wasn't for that reason I would also switch to all mediums (age 61). Thanks again for sharing Dick's method.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks David

[@mocarp1]

Nathan, this was a great presentation & the first time I heard of breaking the honey dome. I watched it several times to drill it in. Had heard about under supering but never explained that it was a strategy for discouraging swarming by giving them head space. I first saw Mr. Brickner when Mr. Binnie had him in a video recently. For those of us not in Mr. Brickner's area, it would be a real treat to hear more of what he has to say about beekeeping. Keith / St. Louis

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Keith

[@R_Brickner]

Thanks for the compliment Keith. I would love to speak at your bee club as I have at those nearby, but a 2 hour drive is about the limit I want to drive. Look for a new video with Nathan next month. Dick Brickner

[@goofycur]

Probably my 17th time Watching this video....... I'm switching to all mediums thanks to y'all lol. My back isn't great

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks!

[@sonofthunder.]

love the visual using the black frames,checkerboarded

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Mark!

[@disciple43]

Great explanation of checkerboarding! Good to know it can be done using a queen excluder too. I read most of Walt Wrights paper on it, but I had to do a fair amount of re-reading to understand the concepts. This is a much simpler explanation.

[@horizontalbees3480]

Checker boarding has never worked for me 😞 After listen to Dick’s interview I understand that my methods was really wrong!!!! We will give checker-boarding another chance this year. Thanks Nathan and Dick😌

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Rickey, it may run a little different with horizontal hives, dunno.

[@R_Brickner]

Nathan, I am impressed to see you replying to so many of the posts, and added some comments to some where I thought I could provide a little more info. You have convinced me to never start a KZbin channel.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Dick, I’ve tried to not speak for you or to mischaracterize anything. I hope I accomplished that. I really appreciate you giving me the opportunity to do this.

[@GEEZBEEZ]

Very interesting and informative. I have several hives this would be easy to do this with. Never can have enough drawn comb though. Thanks for the video.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Garry!

[@alanboltz3405]

I am absolutely amazed at the the knowledge level of Mr. Brickner; his experience certainly demonstrates itself. As I am aging, the lifting required to do checkerboarding is becoming more difficult. Swarm prevention is essential, especially within the context of commercial honey production. For this reason I am transitioning to the Layens hive system. Wintering, honey harvesting, hive management, swarm control, and disease prevention is far less complex with the Layens system.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Very interesting, thanks

[@houstonsheltonbees814]

Excellent Interview gentleman. Thanks 👍

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks

[@sherryortiz227]

And here I've been checkerboard ingredients my 3 brood boxes to keep the queen with empty combs to lay in increasing the brood when I should of been checkerboarding the top boxes to increase my honey. When I made it up to 7 boxes I split into 2 4 box hives. Learn something new every day.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

It’s a different method from what Walt Wright taught. It works for Dick, and may be adaptable for other beekeepers. I think a key to this method is the timing of your broodnest peaking, which we didn’t discuss in this video. A super strong hive coming out of winter will still peak before the flow and may swarm.

[@sherryortiz227]

@@DuckRiverHoney Had first swarm before my first inspection on March 1st. All I found was half the bees and swarm cells. Luckily I had a laying mated queen inside in a nuc waiting for warmer weather to make a split so she got introduced in and so far she's layed up 4 combs of brood. Only 3 queens emerged and are in mating nucs in my front yard on warm days and inside at night as I put brood from another strong colony in each of them and they could easily get chilled with low temps and not enough bees to keep them warm. Not sure what month I thought it was putting brood in 2 frame nucs this time of year. It will be a miracle if any of them get mated.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Where are you at? Swarming that early isn’t something I want in a bee.

[@sherryortiz227]

@@DuckRiverHoney I'm on the east coast of VA This year's extra warm occasional days sped up things. There have been a few swarm calls. The mamma queen is 2 winters old now. Her daughters hives, one absconded in Dec and the other swarmed. They were packed full of bees for some reason in Jan. I think the abscond from hive 1 moved in with them in hive 2 since all 3 of those were equal going into winter. And I believe the other abscond hive 4 moved into hive 3 as it became packed full at the same time. Both absconds did have a queen cell in them. Gonna crowd mamma down to get my queen cells for new queen rearing now as she seems to lay up real well. Already pulled 5 brood combs from her hive as they were 3 boxes full and she had 6 more layed up the following week so I added another box. She has overwintered daughters in 4 top bar hives too. Just trying to equalize the hives right now before major flow starts as they're bringing in nectar. Saw some drones and capped drone cells so game is on. Spring has officially arrived. My plum tree is done blooming and blueberries are in bloom. Yard is full of bloom. My neighbors gonna hate me as I won't mow what blooms. I'm in the city.

[@R_Brickner]

Yes they get heavier (and dangerous) when you go higher than 7 boxes. I have been up to 11 boxes, but too much risk working at that higher altitude. Dick Brickner

[@lindseyhomesteadfarm2653]

Great educational video. I had the pleasure of getting to know Mr. Brickner at Hive Life conference while helping Kamon And Laurel out at their booth. I am definitely intrigued by his method. I just subscribed to your channel and will looking forward to more videos.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Lindsey, I appreciate it.

[@R_Brickner]

And it was great meeting you again at Hive Life 2023. Wow, what a gathering of beekeepers. My wife and I had breakfast at Cracker Barrel Sunday morning with Bob and Suzette Binnie, Byran Farris and some other members of the Columbia Bee Club. We were just leaving when Kamon rolled in with a couple of guys names Ian Steppler and Richard Noel so I just got to shake hands quickly but would have loved to stay and listen to that conversation. Dick Brickner

[@zerunklo]

Some keepers like me won't have enough drawn comb for this. I'm going to use same concept for getting comb drawn. 5 and 3.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

It’s tough to get them to draw comb early in the season.

[@KingLama1]

I use this method to keep the bees focused, as they can slow up when they know there stores are filling up.. then with population compression the need for swarming can begin. So keep them focused, busy. Working with their natural life cycle using the Checkerboard method, new frames to be filled... many thanks.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks!

[@robertolmstead7685]

Does Dick look into the brood nest during the time of checkerboarding to determine if there are any indications of swarming?

[@LawsonsCreekApiary]

Definitely going to try this method at some point. Thanks for sharing!

[@thomasbroussard3761]

I read the book. Now I really understand checkerboardings. Thanks for the video

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I appreciate it. I’ve seen a few different methods.

[@taylorboysoutdoors]

@@DuckRiverHoney thays true checkerboarding doesn't mean the same to everyone

[@strugglingbeekeepermarkcot9642]

Thanks for sharing. There is so many different ways to keep bees.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Mark

[@BrooklandsHoneyBees]

Great video! Really interesting method. Thanks for sharing!

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks!

[@sandraanderson1786]

This is very interesting thank you both for sharing your knowledge:)

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Sandra!

[@andreik3315]

I am late to the party, one question though which may seem silly. Dick, you say you use 9 frames in your brood boxes. Do use spacer to evenly space those frames within the box?

[@walterhiegel3020]

I have just one question...how does one do checkerboarding is one does not have drawn comb yet? This was an excellent and specific presentation of what checkerboarding for honey production is.

[@Stumper52]

You do it the exact same way it'll just take a bit longer. You could even do checkerboarding with foundation when adding the third broodbox (if it's warm enough/there's enough bees).

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I tried it last year with very little drawn comb and ran a 67% swarm rate. Dick has had one reproductive swarm in the last 3 years or so. I’d pick another method if you don’t have any drawn comb at all. If you’ve got some, use it to try to get them into the white wax flow, then start adding foundations.

[@walterhiegel3020]

@@DuckRiverHoney Thanks...my swarm rate was 150% last year but I made the mistake of letting the brood boxes get backfilled...why...it rained every day of the flow last year and I didn't think we weren't getting any flow...man was I wrong!

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Those bees can surprise you…they work if at all possible.

[@billc3405]

Vety informative Thank you Dick for sharing your knowledge. Excellent video 👍

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Bill!

[@jonrobertson4498]

Thank you Nathan, very perceptive!!

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Jon

[@bryanzavada4926]

Great conversation. I like how you demonstrated the method with boxes and different frames. What is the benefit of putting full supers back on top when continuing the checkerboarding process? Couldn't you pull them, spin them, and throw them back on a colony for next the checkerboard?

[@DuckRiverHoney]

The key is empty combs (checkerboarded combs) directly above the broodnest. So yes, you could harvest and reuse combs. I’d prefer to have fewer harvests in my operation, but everyone has different wants, needs, and resources.

[@researcherAmateur]

Well, depending on your location. With more spining you could have a clean black locust honey, than some other and a third clean honey in the end. Where l am black locust honey is 5 times more expencive than Sunflower or Goldenrod in the end of the year. And you don't need to have all those boxes.

[@houstonsheltonbees814]

I just watched the video again. At the end he mentioned resource hives for Queens but I was thinking about the resource of the extra comb's you gain in this method. It would pay to run a few like this just for the wax. Thanks again guys for sharing the wealth 👍

[@DuckRiverHoney]

If you need new combs just wait until the white wax flow (when you start seeing the bees draw new wax) and add some foundations in the boxes above the broodnest.

[@joejackson9214]

Thanks for this video. Very very informative

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Joe, I'm happy

[@glennsnaturalhoney4571]

Good idea to read Walt Right's original manuscript on checkerboarding to understand concept and timing.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Yep, I’ve read through it a couple times now. He had a tough writing style but if you study it thoroughly it makes sense.

[@R_Brickner]

I agree Glenn, but it is rather wordy and long so you have to read it twice or more. I started re-editing it to make it a little more understandable, but I cannot publish it without permission of his family. I have met him several times and he spoke at our bee club once. I wish I could have spent a day with him in his apiary before he passed. Dick Brickner

[@tomamato216]

Outstanding information.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Tom, hope it helps.

[@researcherAmateur]

It's a good method if you have a nice long flow after flow. He's very smart with keeping the brood without splitting it with emptys, or worse, sheets to draw. That's the worse thing you can do.. you can't see it.. but will shorten their life by 10-15%.. and makes the queen lay more brood that ends with the seme short life

[@MinnesotaBeekeeper]

Nathan just recently Mike Palmer was on a livestream with Dr. Humberto on "Inside the Hive TV". He does the same vertical (he called it a) "zigzag" pattern to ramp up his cell builders. Being on the small size here I'm definitely going to give this honey super stacking a run. Thanks again!

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Mike, a lot of folks have used it over the years.

[@gladesessions4781]

I do almost identical management to this. The only difference with me is I put the queen excluder between boxes 2 & 3. It certainly does produce more honey and if timed correctly, seems to prevent swarming.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Great feedback, thanks!

[@MikeBarryBees]

Glad to hear him distinguish between division and overcrowded swarms. I get deer in the headlights looks when I mention reproduction swarms versus overcrowding swarms. He uses ‘true’ checkerboarding as management. This is a good interview. Bob’s stop with him was good as well. Yep, and reversals as well. I’m back and forth this year on them. More forth than back though...this Saturday.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I’ve got the weather, but haven’t seen the pollen yet. I’d like to get some work done but think I’d better hold off.

[@MikeBarryBees]

@@DuckRiverHoney well, my reasoning is to slow them down a bit. I almost wrote it off for good this year and then during a walk thru the yard the other day, I decided I needed to at least do a few. I won’t touch the ones that are between two boxes, but definitely some of the obviously top heavy hives.

[@mriley528]

Great video, that does seem like a good payoff but quite a bit of work and timing. I’m trying to wrap my head around my timelines. Also I feel like attrition isn’t talked about enough. A lot of hobbyist want 100% year over year, but sometimes it is a good thing when working different lines of genetics to have certain traits fade out.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Attrition will happen. In my opinion you need to increase 10-30% each year just to cover queenless hives, winter deadouts, etc.

[@researcherAmateur]

With some experience and changeing old queens in time, you learn how to conbine before winter. You'll probably get to less than 5% attrition. Don't keep space takers in the apiary. They don't make honey

[@MrBeachbums5]

GREAT INFO! Thank you!

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I appreciate it!

[@Jim_]

How about opening up with what checkerboarding is and how it’s done. Without an introduction of what it is I was just lost until halfway through. Thanks for the information and education.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Hi James, if you want to learn, watch the video. If you want to learn more, search and read more. I tried to present this in a timeline fashion that makes sense-coming out of winter and starting the manipulations.

[@brandonfoard8475]

Great video!!

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Brandon!

[@TheKB1210]

Does under supering with drawn comb accomplish the same thing?

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Good question. Is there a way to achieve similar results with less work?

[@researcherAmateur]

Very good videos, with good information. A real entusiast, wich is very important. This can be a great channel, you're smart and young.. I can see you know what you doing. With some experience you will be a great Beekeeper

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I appreciate that Danny

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Danny I’m curious what you think would make this a great channel?

[@researcherAmateur]

@@DuckRiverHoney you 're doing it. I was thinking about the sub number. Just don't go in that "chicken feeding" mode.. look at the girls eating the powders all winter". But l don't think you'll do it. There must be inaf good beeks around you for winter interviews.. ppl like in this video, that want to share their experience. You are ascking the right questions.. those with Bob were great. And your location looks good for bees, for summer videos. So, my opinion is your channel is going great... Experience will come. You have all you need, to keep how many you like to...

[@beebob1279]

Checkerboarding might work, but I've seen presentations on this too. I've seen guys talk about checker boarding and how great it is is for reducing swarms. News flash. Later in the presentation they talk about catching their swarms that left. It might work, but you still need to manage populations in the hive.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Nothing with bees is absolute. You’re managing averages and percentages. Average honey production and percentage of swarms.

[@gwtill]

Can you pull your full boxes as they fill up and harvest the honey and re use the wet frames? I realize this would involving doing numerous spin outs each year but it would prevent having to go so high with the hives. I know I cannot work the high hives but I can do multiple spin outs.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

You can, as long as the honey is dry enough.

[@gwtill]

@@DuckRiverHoney Thanks, I intend to give a try.

[@R_Brickner]

As Nathan mentioned in another reply, the main nectar flow in May comes so fast that my bees easily fill 5 to 7 honey supers so fast that there are not enough of the frames cured (dehydrated and capped) before June 1 to avoid building the stacks that high. Dick Brickner

[@RyanMcDonnough]

I like the checkerboarding idea. But I wonder if there would be any difference to the bees and their swarm impulse if it was done a different way: inspect hive with partially-full super -> move full center frames to the outside frame locations and move empty end frames to center locations -> install new super of drawn comb beneath the partially-full super Seems like it would accomplish nearly the same thing without needing to pull so many frames and move them from one box to another.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

From my reading the keys are to expand the broodnest and then to keep ample empty drawn comb on top of the hive. Different keepers have different ways of doing that.

[@RyanMcDonnough]

@@DuckRiverHoney That’s my understanding, as well.

[@sourwoodbranchbeefarm6515]

Great explanation thanks

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I appreciate it. Where are you from?

[@robotron7]

Wow that's quite a departure from Mr Wright's original method of checker boarding. He had no Excluder, no box reversal, and all manipulations done 8 weeks before apple bloom.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

It’s pretty different. Interesting how different beekeepers do things.

[@vytbbb7146]

So this method encourages queen to lay more eggs compared to the standard one? But why?

[@GrillingNetwork]

Came across your channel and I am glad I watched this!! Great Video!! Quick question… So I am assuming when you go to take honey for extraction, do you always leave the two checker boarded boxes behind and take everything above?? I guess what I am asking, how many boxes do you take and leave behind? Thanks in Advance

[@R_Brickner]

I don't necessarily pull all the frames from the supers above the two checkerboarded boxes, but only pull frames that are well capped. The two boxes that go back on the stack above the brood boxes and queen excluder are always checkerboarded though.

[@traceedunlop8031]

Hello, I'm all new to this and looking forward to starting. Where do you get your hives and boards/drone cones all the same size? Thank you.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

All the bee supply houses will have them. Hillco and Betterbee are a couple favorites.

[@lukesmith9868]

Very informative video, thanks so much. This looks like a great technique for those with drawn comb..If I don't have drawn comb in my supers what should I do instead? My bees did great job drawing out the brood boxes last year but not much on the supers.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Splitting them is probably your safest bet to prevent swarms if you don’t have drawn comb.

[@sherryortiz227]

Gotta feed 1:1 to get that comb drawn in the supers before nectar flow starts. I put 1 empty frame in every box every week to get new comb drawn. Busy bees stay in the hives. I've put medium frames in a deep between drawn comb to get them started. Then move it up and put another empty in its place. They will draw the comb faster if they have enough sugar water coming in. Checkerboarding empties into the brood box until you get half combs and keep moving them up will give them a head start on having comb to put nectar in. I run all mediums and can get up to 4 extra boxes drawn out this way. Stock up on sugar as it will take a good bit but drawn comb is pure gold. Summer dearth is a good time to feed to get comb drawn too. It prevents swarming as you're always adding an empty frame to keep them busy and give the queen new combs to lay in.

[@beekeepinggarden165]

Ricky is great method 😉😉I done this last 2 years and work really well I will be getting done this year to 😉😉😉🐝🐝 You can try on 2/3 hives you will be getting great results 👌😉🐝🐝🐝

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks

[@4bdennis]

Thank you for your straight forward approach and visual demonstration. I am a new beekeeper with my first nucs ordered and my first swarm trap setout in East Tennessee

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Good luck this year!

[@teachbearcop]

Why only 9 Frames, 09:01? I thought that you didn't want to have any extra space for the bees to misbuild comb. With 9 frames, are they pushed close with the extra space on either side, or is the space equally divided throughout the frames?

[@DuckRiverHoney]

The space is equally divided. This is common in honey supers, less common in brood boxes. Metal spacers are made that screw into the boxes to keep the spacing constant.

[@wendytalley7298]

Thank you for this video. I am in my first year and believe I will have to harvest this coming season. Question: Why do you wait to pull and have so many full supers? Why wouldn’t I pull a few weeks earlier, have a shorter stack, and let the hive fill new boxes? Is it because continuing to checkerboard will increase the amount of honey they will store?

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Honey has to cure down below 18% moisture. Past that you can harvest whenever you want. I typically wait to harvest and do everything at that time so it’s just one massive effort and cleanup instead of multiple cleanups.

[@teslalogic]

Using 9 frames in the supers for honey makes sense, but what's the advantage of using 9 frames throughout?

[@DuckRiverHoney]

More space to work, matches the supers. Some disadvantages too, fewer cells for brood.

[@teslalogic]

@@DuckRiverHoney I like the advantage of more room. Does 9 in 10 or 7 in 8 lend itself to increased bur comb?

[@DuckRiverHoney]

If your spacing is off they’ll build crazy comb quick. Dick recommends the metal spacers in brood boxes if you’re doing that.

[@jarnold8803]

2ed question in north texas I am overwintering in 1 deep and a super. With that in mind would you put a 2ed super to make the brood chamber or work with 1 deep and one super

[@DuckRiverHoney]

You could go either way really. If you use excluders you’d have to decide to put it on after 2 or 3 boxes. Don’t use an excluder and you don’t have to make that decision.

[@zoranvidakovic7875]

Tnx Nathan.. it's informative video.. But thus this checkerboarding is the original method from Walt Wright Tennessee beekeeper..Nectar Menagment..??

[@taylorboysoutdoors]

Cool. Thanks for the visuals. What type of bees does he use if he mentioned that. I wonder if it helped reduce robbing during the dearth

[@DuckRiverHoney]

He runs feral / hybrid / mutts

[@taylorboysoutdoors]

@@DuckRiverHoney my favorite 😍

[@framcesmoore]

Ha wonderful video I checker board as well but I did not know u were to do it all season+ I would move the brood down and then would checker board just the 1 time this was really good do u know how and when he treats for mites and what he used that would be great as well Thanks

[@DuckRiverHoney]

He uses OA shop towel method (Randy Oliver’s method) after the flow, then I believe formic in October.

[@framcesmoore]

@@DuckRiverHoney wow thankyou

[@DuckRiverHoney]

No worries, thanks

[@teachingandlearning]

Thx

[@kevinhemp2197]

Do you keep the full boxes on the hive just as a way of storing them till you are ready the harvest. Can I just harvest more often so the hive won’t get so high.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

The honey has to be dried down by the bees to below 18% moisture ideally. Once that happens you can harvest whenever you want.

[@davidpatrick1813]

I have two hives, one with two deep and the second with a deep and medium. Last year I had moved one of the deeps and made a second hive (super heavy) pun intended. Anyway, I have one medium super and frames that only has foundation. The girls are bringing in pollen already. Southern Oregon coastal area. ... How do I get them to draw comb and when to introduce etc. ... I like all one size boxes ... I will order a couple of new mediums with frames... plastic or wood?

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I prefer wood frames with plastic foundation. To get drawn comb you really need a nectar flow. The white wax flow is what it's generally called when bees start drawing new wax, and that is usually after the first round of natural swarms here, usually in April. Your climate and timing is likely very different.

[@ranjitchouhan6368]

I am Indian beekeeper sir i dealy watching your videos

[@jackgrimshaw9355]

A congested brood nest contributes to the swarm impulse so I would think that checkerboarding the brood nest would give better swarm control.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Dick told me he’s only seen one reproductive swarm in the last 3-4 years. That’s a fantastic swarm rate.

[@researcherAmateur]

Actually, it's the honey in the nest that makes them swarm. The honey crowns over the brood on the frames, and the 1and 10 frames full with capped honey. If you restrict the nest inaf, so the queen can dominate that space under the excluder.. you will have every ceel filled with brood, and it will be the seme amount of brood.. and this is tested. Beekeepers with 1000 hives do it in Europe. Without looking in the brood nest all summer. With maybe 1-2% of swarming. Splitting brood frames is the worse thing you can do.. All you get from it is bad, colder kept larvas, that end up being a short living bees that don't do their job good as they could.. but you can't see it because you see a hive full with those bees.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Good info, thanks

[@tisombivens4301]

Whats best time to start puttin out our swarm traps here in TN brother. Im eager to get to it this year!

[@DuckRiverHoney]

March 1st is a good time.

[@babybeeapiaries8667]

did you try this last year? If so what did you think of it? I know it has to be a lot of work, but as you and Dick said it pays off.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I did not. I had too many hives and too little time. 😆

[@babybeeapiaries8667]

@@DuckRiverHoney lol, me too, but I might try it on a few this year.

[@brucesbees]

Good stuff guys! Any issues with hive beetles in the upper boxes of honey? Do the bees keep it all covered?

[@DuckRiverHoney]

We’ve got beetles, but not like you do down near the melon fields. After June I really start worrying about populations and hive size. Dick spins more often than I do too.

[@R_Brickner]

I always find a few beetles in the very top box but no serious infestations. This is where I put my only beetles trap, a beetle bar with Bayer Maxforce FC Magnum as a bait, but don't tell our State Apiarist. It kill beetles and cannot get into the wax and honey from this device. Dick Brickner

[@skyhighactiondrones5453]

Great video, based on this and the comments, I’m thinking you are checkerboarding and stacking, but not harvesting any honey until later in the year?

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I will pull honey supers in July, and IF we get a strong fall flow I may super the big ones and try to get some fall honey.

[@R_Brickner]

I pull honey approximately June 1, July 1, August 15, and October 1. Dick Brickner

[@timmiller2192]

Is he getting into and doing any thing special with the brood boxes once he starts supering checkerboarding?

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I don't know the answer to that Tim. I will say that when you have 5-7 supers on a hive it's an awful chore to do broodnest inspections.

[@framcesmoore]

Ha 1 more question if u do not mind, I inspect all my hives every week for swarming cells does he still do internal inspection and if so how often Thanks

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I don’t know his answer to this. What attracts me to checkerboarding is reduced swarming and increased honey production. A side benefit would be that I don’t want to tear down every hive every week to inspect for swarm cells. Get 4-6 supers on a hive and that is a JOB.

[@jarnold8803]

After you harvest your honey how to you store your honey supers till spring

[@DuckRiverHoney]

There’s a lot of different thoughts on that, need to do a video at some point as it’s a deep subject.

[@norfolkhoneybee273]

I am interested wy he moves all capped brood to bottom box?

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Bees expand upward easier and faster than they expand downward. This is why reversals are fairly common. I went through all my hives today and some will need to be reversed but some won’t…they’re already in the bottom.

[@TheRainHarvester]

How do you keep track of which frames are exposed to medications? (So the Honey Bad for humans)

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I don’t use medications that would make the honey bad. There may be some syrup leftover from feeding last fall, but they tend to eat the old stuff and replace it with new honey each year.

[@TheRainHarvester]

@@DuckRiverHoney oh which medications are good/okay to use? (I'm learning)

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Antibiotics are regulated in food production due to risk of allergy. Some miticides are not allowed to be used when honey supers are on hives.

[@mikeries8549]

Spring? I let em rip and jump on swarms b4 they happen. Theory: keep making more colonies and honey sort of just happens. It's fun catching swarms in empty hives too. I don't lose much. I get about a ton per year.

[@wishicouldspel]

The word "outlier" is found right next to the word " lucky" in the dictionary. Lady luck rarely strikes once. To count on beating the odds consistently is not luck. Sounds more like well timed work done well. A fact which is obviously done in these bee yards. Question. Would this work in a far north area with a bee season of less than 5 months where wall to wall flight dates are often limited to even less days most years? L

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Good question. Walt Wright popularized checkerboarding, and he was a Tennessee beekeeper as well. I don’t know of any far north beekeepers using it, but I don’t know.

[@daisyshoney6021]

How would an upper entrance effect the checkerboard for honey?

[@DuckRiverHoney]

That's a good question Daisy, all I can give you is an educated guess. If you push the brood down to the bottom and use an excluder above the broodnest I don't think it would change things too much.

[@traceedunlop8031]

Where do you purchase your bees?

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I don’t buy bees any longer, I have enough to make what I need

[@scotthenderson4376]

What happens if you just pull the frames that are full and add empty frames instead of boxes? seems would save your back from all the lifting but then you have to extract it or store it.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

In a heavy flow you’ll be adding boxes faster than the bees can dry the nectar. Nectar is 80% water, honey is less than 18%. Takes time for them to dry it down.

[@scotthenderson4376]

@@DuckRiverHoney thanks for getting back. guess I got a lot of learning to do :)

[@DuckRiverHoney]

This will explain a lot. kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4DUd6ppnaZ3qJo

[@R_Brickner]

Scott, regrettably, the full and capped frames are in the uppermost supers of that stack and you want to avoid leaving a super full of frames filled with nectar directly over the brood boxes, so always need to checkboard those bottom two honey supers. Dick Brickner

[@amathonn]

Putting full boxes back on the hive - is that just to postpone harvest and do all at once? I’d get nervous leaving several hundred dollars stacked up there with potential for robbing - by bees or people!

[@DuckRiverHoney]

The nectar needs to cure before it's ready to harvest. It needs to be below 18% moisture, and ideally closer to 17%. The bees need time to reduce the moisture content. Once the honey is cured you can harvest it whenever you want.

[@briansmith6824]

Bob Binnie has a few videos on how he dries his honey to 15% in a closed from with fans and a dehumidifier. With 15 to 20 hives, you could harvest one box off each hive once a week all through the flow and start selling honey early.

[@davidsoloninka7742]

I'm 6:22 min into your video and the interviewer has not stopped talking. He ask the "interviewee" the question, however, does not give him time to answer. Respectfully, DS

[@DuckRiverHoney]

That’s the setup, giving the viewer a synopsis of what’s happening, so you’ll understand the rest of the video.

[@davidsoloninka7742]

Great content, it's just that your "setup" is a little too lengthy. This is just a very respectful comment that would improve your videos. DS

[@raterus]

If you're bees are adding honey during a dearth, there is a good chance your bees are thieves! 🙂

[@R_Brickner]

That's possible, but a dearth here is a significant slowing of the nectar and pollen production, not a total absence. The soybean fields are producing some throughout July and August so my hives do see a continuing source. DB

[@tonynicholson8962]

The honey he gets during the dearth, is what we call fencepost honey in the south.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Why is it called fence post honey?

[@tonynicholson8962]

That's where they get it

[@fabianweber619]

There's a gent that recently passed from our club that claimed the same with his two queen colonies. Bigger workforce can take advantage of smaller flows was the logic. He had some stacks!

[@sonofthunder.]

like how he staggered the frames abive n below each other

[@DuckRiverHoney]

That is important according to the original document. I wonder if simple undersupering would accomplish the same after they get into the flow?

[@johncombs3270]

Number 1

[@DuckRiverHoney]

👍

[@davebeard4987]

What state do you live in??

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Tennessee

[@davebeard4987]

@@DuckRiverHoney South Alabama here so seasons should be a few weeks earlier down here. Thanks, valuable info!!!

[@lewisshotton3157]

So, just curious 🧐 did you end up catching COVID from your new friend?😷😂

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Nope, not at all.

[@lewisshotton3157]

@@DuckRiverHoney cool, we need you to keep the beekeeping videos coming unscathed 👍

[@dogalarclk1541]

🇹🇷👍👍

[@georgemudaida704]

T

[@denniswood231]

I respectfully have to disagree with this method and for very good reasons which I will explain. I started my own beekeeping business in 1972 at the age of 19 with 240 colonies, built the business too 1130 colonies and ran the business for 30 years and sold out to my nephews...now I am what you would call a sideliner, raising queens, selling nucs and producing honey as semi-retired pursuit. The best method of swarm control is going into the nectar flow with a young queen in every hive...young queens from good stock that have been developed to build up super strong colonies without the propensity to swarm, the queen mothers selected from the most productive hives every season and then culled down to the strongest, healthiest hives with queens and bees exhibiting the most desirable traits the following spring to perform the duty of queen mother hives to the next generation of super bees. My method of honey production involves running even strength colonies and splitting into 6 or 7 frames nucs and then running them as two queen horozontal honey production units for the season. The action of splitting the colonies acts to always keep them in a state of constant build up, never stagnating or getting brood bound or honey bound. Once the bees in two nucs are comfortably full of brood which would be 8-9 frames in all stages plus pollen and honey stores the hives are put into the horozontal two queen configuration, an excluder put on top and the one super added, then monitored closely...when that first honey super is about 1/2 to 2/3 full a second honey super is undersupered and put over the queen excluder then the hives are monitored carefully...when the bees just begin to cap the honey the honey supers are taken off, two empty supers are added, a bee escape board is put on and both honey supers are put on top...48 hours later I remove the two full supers and add one more empty super. Then two days later I go back and reverse the honey supers since the super just over the queen excluder will be the fullest the middle honey super will be about 1/2 full and the top box will lightest, so I put the light box over the excluder, leave the middle super in that position and put the heaviest box on top. Monitor them closely and never underestimate the power of your bees. If weather conditions are good you should be able to go and pull all three supers of honey in 4-6 days dependibg on weather, moisture and bee strength and then repeat(by the way, all my equipment is standard deeps). A better option than checkboarding is always undersupering with a completely empty super. Second...do not leave that super over the queen excluder for more than a few days before you either undersuper or reverse your honey supers...congestion right over the queen excluder will promote swarming in powerful hives and even in some weaker hives. Third, pull honey as often as possible...do not let them ever think that they have enough honey or become honey bound or let them get stacked up any higher than six boxes high(I am speaking of deeps since that is what I run and that means two brood chambers and either 3 or 4 honey supers). After the first pull I try to pull every every 7-8 days like clockwork until the nectar flow either tapers down or ceases unless weather conditions dictate otherwise...roll with the punches and be aware of the conditions in your hives every single day. So in conclusion...do not checkboard...always put a full empty super over the broodnest. After the first honey pull I always put two frames of foundation in each super...I run 9 frames and put one on each side of the center comb...this keeps the bees busy and prevents swarming as well...super strong hives need management and incentives to stay put and producing rather than preparing to swarm and all of these management techniques contribute to that. If you run mediums or a regular two story standard broodnest with an excluder the same applies...undersuper with full empty supers over the excluder and never leave them there for too long before 1. Pull honey 2. Undersuper with another empty or 3. Reverse the honey supers. I know people like to say that you know my hives were 8 or 9 or 10 boxes high but I can tell you this as a fact...if they were to pull honey many times more often keeping thier hives lower they would have significantly larger honey crops. How do I know this... because I practice exactly what I have told you plus a few other management techniques and my colonies average 14-15 supers of honey every season ...so if you want to wildly exceed your state or provincial honey averages I have told you how to do it consistently. You are wondering so does this guy really know what he is talking about and what does he produce? Ok....2020 honey production average per colony 396 lbs. 2021 honey production average per colony 418 lbs . and this was one of the poorest honey production years since 1987( a severe drought) You can decide for yourself. My goal is 500 lbs per hive...I know it is attainable on a good year since a talented young lady with good bees and great management set the record some years ago. I wish you the best of honey crops in 2022!

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Dennis, where are you located? With honey crops like that I’m guessing it’s up north? I’ve seen some other folks use multiple nucs underneath honey supers and it definitely works.

[@iv8916]

Good write up...Can you further elaborate on the configuration you describe as "two queen horizontal honey production units "? Thanks

[@denniswood231]

@@iv8916 Hello, horozontal honey production units can be comprised of standard 10 frame langstroth hives, 8 frame hives or 5, 6 or 7 frame nucleus colonies ( In my experience 6 and 7 frame nucleus colonies work the best producing as much and usually more than larger colonies. Horozontal two queen honey production units are formed by putting two queenright colonies tight beside each other smoking gently( I use a spray bottle with light sugar syrup containing HiveAlive) to disrupt the queen pheromones temporarily when the hives are united to facilitate peaceful integration( I have never experienced any fighting or bee losses doing it this way). Once the colonies are placed tightly together a queen excluder is placed exactly in the center of the two colonies ( I use plastic excluders and staple the excluder down in the center where the hives meet since a plastic excluder may buckle up and allow the queens to pass to the other hive which will result in the loss of one of the queens... and a super of empty comb is placed on top ( if I was uniting say two strong 10 frame colonies I would likely add two empty supers at once ( when I use 10 frame colonies they are usually single splits and are run as singles until after the second pull of honey...then a second brood chamber is undersupered under the existing brood chamber to facilitate less congestion and facilitate more room for temporary nectar storage, brood, drone congregation and ultimately nearing the end of the nectar flow area for pollen storage carried into winter. Then I place boards to cover whatever space is left on each side of each hive that is not covered by the honey super. It is as simple as that and at the end of the honey season the honey supers are removed and the two hives moved apart to stand alone again as individual hives. Because these hives become powerful and working together produce huge amounts of honey they have to be monitored and managed accordingly.

[@denniswood231]

@@DuckRiverHoney Hello, I keep bees in north central Saskatchewan but these beekeeping management practices can be utilized in any situation where there are decent nectar flows thereby increasing honey yields exponentially beyond what is considered a normal annual yield...the reason being that in many cases when the major nectar flow begins colonies are not yet at peak strength taking weeks to hatch brood and advance bees through the various stages of in hive work to become a forager bee. ( in my experience in my area colony nectar foraging ability peaks 3-4 weeks depending on conditions after the start of the nectar flow begins...I know that because in any given year it takes at least two if not three weeks before honey can be harvested but after that point honey can be taken in even greater quantities every 7-9 days depending on many factors). So Unfortunately in many situations the nectar flow is over even before colonies have reached their ultimate honey gathering potential thus severely limiting the best outcome for honey production in any given year. By forming two queen honey production units and doubling both the bee and brood populations this exponentially increases the advancement of bees to become forager bees at a younger age simply because the rapid increase in young bees is not required in the hive. Therefore checkboarding, and leaving full honey frames above the brood chamber is not only un ecessary but actually detrimental to the ultimate best function of a strong colony in a nectar flow simply because in my experience if you pull all the honey off a strong colony and add three empty supers and go back in a few days the super just above the excluder will be nearly full the second super perhaps half full and the top super with the least honey, therefore in my experience I always put full empty supers above the excluder and move them up asap regularly avoiding congestion right over the queen excluder for freer movement of air and providing honey storage space right where the bees prefer it, all this contributing to less tendency to swarming at a time of peak bee populations....It must be noted...I have never seen an increase in my honey production when I see bees hanging in the trees😅. In any case, joking aside... This is my experience and considered opinion based on decades of producing honey since the late 1960s. I apologize for the late reply. I wish you the best success with your bees in 2022! Dennis