How I prepare Demaree, Single Brood Chamber hives or double nucs for winter

I had a lot of questions as to how I prepared my Demaree splits (as well as my single brood chamber hives and double nucs) for Winter. Here are some great options.

[@leeknight9063]

Great video, this method is making me think of a lot of questions.

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Glad it was helpful!

[@robertcampbell943]

Wow, best video yet! This is a subject that has been a stumbling issue for many beginners and hobby beekeepers!Thank you Peter.🐝😊

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

So nice of you

[@hopelessrope1122]

Thanks for showing this. 100% easier to understand when it's shown this way rather than just explained.

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Glad it was helpful!

[@oneshoo]

Yes Peter the common theme which all Demaree users express is that the hives have to be strong! Thanks again!

[@jeffperry9900]

I really enjoyed learning your video series on demaree method. Truly best I seen and demonstrated thoroughly. I plan on using this method. Thanks again for helping us be better beekeepers.

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Awesome, thank you!

[@johnconly8769]

Another great video. Where do you put your second entrance on Deharee method. We are hopely getting an early spring in louisiana. Cant wait to try this. thanks again

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Normally just below the telescopic cover.

[@johnconly8769]

@pingwithTheBeeWhisperer thank you

[@oneshoo]

Peter your video series on the Demaree method the past month or so is outstanding!! I’m going into my 6th year with about 8 or 10 hives and I am going to try the Demaree on most of them. I am striving for more honey production, and I will give this manipulation a try. The question I have is when you put the Queen in the bottom box there are a lot of differences by many doing the Demaree as to whether to use drawn comb, or strictly foundation, or to put a frame of capped brood, and a frame or two with some stores? I would like to know what is your preferred method?? Thanks! 👍👍

[@davidbarnes936]

I was wondering the same thing. Watching for the response to this

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

The most important thimg is that the colony is big enough to do this to start with. I prefer one frame of capped and emerging brood with the queen and yes at least some drawn comb. Some pollen might be good too.

[@toolsofthefuture]

Thank you for the detailed explanation. Is it practical to split the hive after honey flow, if I have a mated queen, to use the number of bees? Until winter, they have enough time with feeding to develop. For me, the last honey flow ends at the beginning of July.

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Yes, absolutely. You will have a huge population of bees to do this with as well. Just remember to feed the splits well.

[@toolsofthefuture]

@@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer Thanks for the answer, yes, feeding is understood.

[@DaddyDave715]

Thanks for the great video as always! One thought I had while watching this, and I dont remember if you covered it in the last video, but is there any concern about having sugar syrup "honey" in the moved up brood chamber if I fed 2:1 in the fall?

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Its a case by case basis. You can remove those frames for later use if you have much in there.

[@framcesmoore]

I have a question if u do not mind, when you do the dameree method and you let them raise a queen in the top box what will that do Have you ever let this happen. it is a 2 queen hive, u make a hole so the queen can go mate will this hurt honey production. Thanks. I enjoy your videos, you do a good job with them. I got 1 more question it has nothing to do with this video, do u use hive alive the rocket fuel thatt Ian always talks about any thing like that with your bees. Every thing is getting so crazy with what you should be feeding Randy oliver uses nothing in his bees. It is getting crazy on the cost. Thanks and have a blessed day

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

That would be a mistake as in most cases you will end up with one or multiple swarms with those new queens.

[@davidbarnes936]

I’ve been thinking about this more and more. Is there any reason you couldn’t put a double screen board immediately above the bottom brood box (above or instead of the queen excluder) for the 8-9 days until you knock down the emergency cells in the top box? This would provide the drones an exit and insure separation from the queen for that first week. Or is it just easier to prop open a corner of my migratory lid with a stick?

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

This would in effect separate the top from the bottom...dont do that. A simple upper entrance lets drones out,,,, you want free flow of bees in the colony except for the queen.

[@framcesmoore]

Ha Peter I wanted to thankyou for shareing all the videos on the demeree method I have done this on 20 hives so far and have 4 more to do. It is working out good. but I used all drawn comb in the bottom box for the queen to lay in. they are really packing in the nector and comtinue to fill the comb below I go back and put it in the top box. This next round I will use foundation I am now out of all my drawn comb. I will continue to keep checking them . just a question when I did this they were not fixing swarm cells yet. I did this to have large coloneys makinng lots of honey. the flow has started here it is early. the main starts in may. how many more times would you check these hives after the main flow starts thanks again for everything I wanted to give you a gift for you. Money is better then just a thanks. Have a blessed week

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Thank you so much!!!! They should draw comb out down there no problem...its a good way to get more brood comb drawn. I would check on things very couple of weeks but there should be no issue before 4 weeks. If your flow lasts a while you may do it a second time.

[@framcesmoore]

@@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer Thankyou

[@framcesmoore]

@@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer Peter thaks so much. I hope your bee season goes well hope u keep making videos as well God Bless and have a wonderful week

[@rtxhoneybees]

I am preparing to do the demaree method on a couple of hives. Ive watched your videos very carefully and i do not see where you talk about what to do with the deep frames that have honey/sugar syrup. If moved up, aren't they adulterating your honey crop?

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

If in doubt replace them.

[@jrys23]

When transferring a nuc to a deep. Will there be enough bees to overwinter? How many weeks should we allow to build more winter brood?

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Very location dependant....if in doubt keep in a nuc.

[@davidbarnes936]

I’m in Georgia, and we typically harvest honey in the first week of June. That leaves several months to prepare for winter. Would you still feed 2:1 immediately after taking the honey supers or would you suggest feeding 1:1 in my situation?

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

There I would use 1:1 as it has a lot of other benefits

[@kathrync829]

I'm thinking about trying beekeeping, but I'm not very strong and I don't want to have to rely on help from others. Is there a system that works for someone who can't reliably lift more than about 20 to 25 pounds?

[@mse1333]

That’s quite a limit for beekeeping. Maybe look into horizontal hives. Once set up, there’s very little lifting, but it’s quite a change from normal hives in how you manage them.

[@kathrync829]

@@mse1333 Thanks, I'll check that out.

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

You could use only shallow supers for brood and honey. If full of brood thats about 15-20lb max or full of honey about 35lb total weight....use 2 shallows in replacement of each deep.

[@kathrync829]

@@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer I really appreciate your thoughtful consideration of my question. I've been trying to decide if this is something that I am actually capable of doing. This year I'm working on establishing a few more plants that flower throughout the growing season so my bees would have a reliable source of pollen nearby.

[@drumcdoo9050]

Thanks for the explaining ... Unfortunately, sorry to say you lost me 2/3 way through video by not explaining where you go from two full brood chambers... Reminds me of when first being taught how to use a computer with somehow a link being missed out, thus ending up with a lot of head scratching! So near yet so far... Or to put it another way, it comes over like a magician hiding balls under a cup... It's explained so fast, you still don't quite understand when and where slight of hand has taken place. Easy to work out when you're a professional, however crazy difficult for a beginner. So near, yet s far.😥

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

I made this video on the assumption folks had watched the previous one or two on the Demaree manipulations. Title: "Don't Split! Get a big honey crop using the Demaree method"