I have built the prototype for my Queen accommodation block. The unit is a standard national super which has three snug fitting separators splitting the box into four equal compartments, each compartment can take 2 super frames and space for a queen introduction cage. Because all the work is in the base and I have not altered the super in any way it could be used as a normal super once queen breeding is finished for the year.
Each compartment has an entrance hole in the floor, each at right angles to the next, so there should not be a problem of the bees getting confused about which entrance is their own. There will only be a few hundred bees in each compartment, just enough to see the queen mated and into her laying cycle. She will then be introduced into one of my nucs or colonies or sold.
All I have left to do is make four individual crownboards with an 8mm thick edge to create top bee space, and a standard national roof. I need perhaps five of these for my first year queen breeding, judging by the interest so far. Not a bad effort for the first attempt, I'll have a think to see if it can be improved or made easier to build before I make any more.
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