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Manchester and District Beekeepers’ Association |
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Phone: 0161-747 7292 To contact us: Email: |
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ABOUT MDBKA / QUEEN / WORKER&DRONE / SWARMING / THE SUPER / THE HIVE / BROOD CHAMBER / PESTS & DISEASE / VARROA / AFB / EFB / SHB / CHALKBROOD / ACARINE/ HIVE PRODUCTS / WAX / BOOKS / STINGS / CONTACTS / APRIL NEWS / TUITION / SWARM COLLECTION SERVICE/ NEWSLETTER/ WAX /
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M.& D.B.K.A. |
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LINKS
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THE BROOD CHAMBER
To facilitate the easy removal of honey the Queen is usually restricted to the brood chamber by a Queen excluder. A single brood chamber will normally have 11 frames of foundation which the bees fashion into hexagonal cells so that the Queen can lay eggs in them. Each sheet of foundation has about 5,000 cells therefore a single brood chamber has the capacity to ac commodate over 55,000 eggs or larvae but in reality the percentage fill in each frame varies between 25-50%, the rest being pollen and honey . At peak laying time; normally June, as long as the bees are given the space, the brood camber can contain up to 40,000 brood cells. The minimum adult population in February is around 5,000 and the maximum is up to 60,000 bees in July. Below Fig 16 shows the typical rugby ball shape of brood distribution on a brood frame. The centre of the frame will contain brood in various stages and the outside of the frame will contain honey and pollen. Beekeepers use either a single brood chamber, a double brood chamber or a brood and a half. A brood and a half con sists of a brood chamber and a super. As long as the Queen is not restricted in her laying then all have their own merits and disadvantages.
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Fig 16. Shows the oval shape of brood distribution |
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THE BROOD CHAMBER |
