Checkerboarding

[Brent Bean]

I have been reading about Walt Wrights method of nectar and swarm management called Checkerboarding. Has anyone tried it out? And how well has it worked?

[Grant]

Walt Wright's ideas changed my life!

They work real well if you feel comfortable giving your queen all the room she wants (some call this "open brood nest").

If you want to read all his stuff, here is a link:

http://www.knology.net/~k4vb/all%20walt%20articles.htm

(the previous link needs to be all on one line)

Grant
Jackson, MO

[Michael Bush]

Do a search here, also on "checkerboarding". There have been several discussions.

[peggjam]

I had hives go from so-so, to booming in 3 weeks by using this methoed. It is a really good way to make big, strong hives in a quick hurry. I admit it can be time consuming if you run alot of hives, but it is an awesome way to get stronger hives and reduce swarming.

[FordGuy]

im kind of embarrassed to say this, but I could not find the down and dirty explanation. (but a whole lot of scholarly articles that overdo the scientific it as far as im concerned...) Maybe one day I will want to get more edumaficated on this here bee thang, but right now just give me the 5 step please.

[Jim Young]

FordGuy, I posted my protocol for checkerboarding hives (nectar management) on the following thread: Bee Forum » Experiment participants wanted. Take a look and see if you can use it.

http://www.beesource.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=004509;p=1

Jim

[FordGuy]

Mr. young, that makes sense - thanks.

[Walts-son-in-law]

Marking this for notification. If anyone knows how to do this without posting something, let me know through PM.

[Jim Young]

Roy,

Can you and Walt Wright provide any insight if there are any genera of trees occurring USA-wide which can be used as an indicator when "Hardwood Green-up" has arrived? For instance, the old timers in Oklahoma would plant field corn when Blackjack Oak tree (Quercus marilandica) leaves were the size of squirrel's ears. The Blackjack Oak trees leaved-out later than the White or Red Oak trees. It would be great if the growth stage of leaves for either the widely occurring Maple trees (Acer L.) or Oak trees (Quercus L.) or other tree genera could be used as a gauge for determining when "Hardwood Green-up" has arrived, thus corresponding to "swarm cut-off date".

Jim Young

[Walts-son-in-law]

Jim,

That's a tall order. Walt has looked at planting charts for the country and the variations would surprise you. The different conditions in a single state alone (moisture, temperature, elevation, etc.) can cause wide variations in plant schedules.

It is more important to observe what the bees are doing in YOUR hives and couple that to what the plants are doing in your area. Walt goes into considerable detail regarding the 'operational modes' in the hive in his manuscript and I am trying to get him to create a single-page 'How to' guide. He has other things higher on his priority list right now and I am not sure when he might get to it.

In the mean time, there were some pretty good guidelines posted in the "Beesource Forums » General Beekeeping Forums » Bee Forum » Experiment participants wanted" thread, and Michael Bush has a good working knowledge of the principles involved.

Hope this helps.

[Michael Bush]

>Michael Bush has a good working knowledge of the principles involved.

I suppose I have the general principles of what the hive is doing (spring buildup, swarm buildup, backfulling the brood nest), but I never really matched it up well to the blooms. I have read Walt's manuscript and tried to distill that down in the "Experiment" thread. I will be paying more attention this year.

But, this year, the fruit trees have buds on them already and that's a good month and a half or two months early. My pear, apple and cherry trees all have buds. So I'm not sure how useful this year's observations will be.

[Walts-son-in-law]

Michael,

Walt looked in his bees yesterday. He says they are already bringing in 'split loads'. He thinks things may happen very early this year in our area.

[MichaelW]

Whats a split load?
My bees are extremely busy, can't wait to check for brood. There was no brood and little activity 2 weeks ago. I cought the first smell of pollen in the air yesterday, seemed strong.

Binoculars work great to scan the trees.

[FordGuy]

I'll ask for a demur on this thread as it is mala in se as well as malum prohibitum if you experts don't dumb it down for me (me and probably a few others) just a little. split load please?

[Fusion_power]

Early in the season it is common to see pollen only foragers and nectar only foragers. Later in the season, foragers will bring in both nectar and pollen on the same foraging trip. Then during the main nectar flow, they will bring in nectar loads only. The status of the colony in terms of brood condition can be determined by looking at the loads the bees are carrying. A bee with a full abdomen and full pollen baskets has been foraging for both. These bees are easily seen as they land at the front of the hive.

Fusion

[BerkeyDavid]

Simply, a split load is a load of BOTH pollen (observed by pollen baskets on legs) AND nectar.

[MichaelW]

hmm, I guess I will have to learn to observe the difference between a bee with a full abdomen and a not-full abdomen.

[FordGuy]

I'm gonna need someone to draw me a picture! or post a picture...

Is abdomen longer, fatter, how accurate is this? What if you are just looking at an old worker who is fat and sleek from age?

[Brent Bean]

You folks in the south are making me jealous, I won’t see nectar or pollen being brought in for another six weeks.

[Hill's Hivery]

I wouldn't count on it Brent! It should be another month before they start here, but I have seen the girls bringing in some dingy yellow pollen in on really warm days here!

Maybe dandelions?

[ January 31, 2006, 06:44 PM: Message edited by: Hill's Hivery ]

[Dave D.]

I'm a little late on this conversation but I have been checking my own opinions against those of local turkey hunters and other outdoorsmen as to the average dates of hardwood greenup and red bud bloom. We could all agree that for us, red bud bloom is the last week of March to the first of April with hardwood green up 2 to 3 weeks later. However, this year will probably be way earlier than average. It just seems to come down to this, we have to look at the plants and in the hives and make our best guess. A prayer won't hurt either. All I really know about beekeeping is that there is a lot more for me to learn. Note to Hill's Hivery of Olney IL. I am very close to you and would enjoy getting acquainted because i always enjoy meeting other beekeepers.

[BULLSEYE BILL]

>Maybe dandelions?

Probably grain dust from bird feeders, or catle troughs.

[Michael Bush]

www.pollen.com (http://www.pollen.com) puts our pollen at 2.7 tomorrow. The source is listed as "mixed trace".

The trees are budding, but so far I haven't see the elms or maples blooming.

[Brent Bean]

I have seen a few dandelions blooming, I have never seen that in January but this year was the warmest January since they have been keeping records in southwest Michigan . We were 12.6 degrees above the normal means temps. I’m trying not to be too anxious I think February will have some surprises in store.
Back to checkerboarding how do you intra grate new foundation using this method?

[FordGuy]

Can someone describe that "split load" thing? any pics?

[Craig W.]

A split - load as I have learned from reading is when bees bring in pollen from blooming plants and nectar from flowers. Pollen for the brood nectar for honey. I do not have a pic of a bee. They would have the pollen on the legs and a belly full of nectar.

Craig

[FordGuy]

i'm thinking there has got to be a way to tell, like we spot verroa, like the nasanov, etc. Just looking for some guidance.

[Walts-son-in-law]

Ford Guy (indications of split loads)

This question was answered earlier with what I considered a bad answer, but thought I would let you guys work it out.
The split load giveaway is multiple bees coming in with small pollen loads. You know what a full pollen load looks like when the bee is only foraging for pollen. If a short flight distance, the pollen is a veritable ball. Longer flight distances will often erode the ball into a tapered aerodynamic shape, but it is still large and prominent. In the early season, late in the short workday, some pollen foragers will quit and go home with less than a full pollen load. All the bees in a colony are not on the same mission at any one time. Some forage for water, nectar, and/or pollen. You have to watch long enough to see a cross section of returning foragers. Sometimes different mission foragers come in waves.
At midday, when you see large numbers of foragers with short pollen loads, you can bet they are split-loaders. The abdomen is not as plump as the liquid carriers, but shows some filling of their tanks. It’s difficult to focus on the hustling, returning forager. She’s in a hurry. But short pollen loads are fairly obvious.
One season, years ago, my bees were bringing mostly nectar, with the slightest amount of a reddish brown pollen. Some had a small bead of pollen in their baskets, and other just had some coloration up the hind leg. Don’t know the source, but suspect skunk cabbage. This past mild January, saw a hint of the same thing, but didn’t take time to examine it closely. Addressing your question gives me the opportunity to ask beeks who might know: What is the color of skunk cabbage pollen, or what very early source is reddish brown?
One last note relevant to this thread: CB induces higher incidence of split loads. In the early season, foraging for pollen is the primary colony focus to provide brood food. The colony that has been CB’ed has the additional drive to fill perceived empty comb overhead. The dual motivation generally encourages foraging for both pollen and nectar at the same time.

Walt