How To Use The Two Queen Keeper

You’ve heard that The Keeper’s Hive makes colony management easy, efficient, effective and enjoyable – but how does it actually work? If you purchased a Two Queen Keeper, the information below will help set you up for success.

 

HIVE FUNCTION & PERFORMING INSPECTIONS

The hive is designed to be opened and closed in a specific order (note that the video below shows the One Queen Keeper in action, but the function is exactly the same for the Two Queen Keeper):

  • To open the hive: flip open the hinged room, remove the tempered glass observation window, and then remove the two “frame guards” with handles. The brood chamber frames can now be accessed. While propolis will not impact the hive's function, we recommend regularly scraping off the components from time to time to prevent any long term build up.
  • To close the hive: place the two frame guards in place over the frame ends, place the observation window on them so that it “snaps” into the slots on both sides, and then close the hinged roof. The brood chamber is now fully sealed.

When performing an inspection, you usually will not need to remove all 8 frames in the brood chamber. Remember that the brood chamber is symmetrical, so whatever is on the first 4 frames should be mirrored on the other side.

However, if you do need to remove all of the frames we recommend storing them in a quiet box. If you don't have one they are fairly easy to make, but we will also have some for sale in the near future!

 

HIVE COMPONENTS & SUPER CONFIGURATION

In order to use the Two Queen Keeper, you will need the following hive components: 

  • (2) 10 frame solid bottom boards*
  • Medium and deep frames
  • (1) 10 frame deep hive body**
  • Two to three 10 frame medium supers
  • 10 frame inner cover
  • 10 frame telescoping outer cover

*Using solid bottom boards is preferable with single brood chamber management because it helps keep cold air off the brood. Remember – the brood chamber is restricted to the very bottom of the hive. 

**If you would like to perform the Demaree method of swarm control, you will need at least one deep box to use as the “exchange box”. This is for cycling frames in and out of the brood chamber to prevent swarming. We like to use mediums for honey supers, but you can use deeps if you prefer.

 

HIVE SET UP & LOCATION

For detailed information on choosing a hive location, check out our guide on where to put your beehive.

If you would like to perform seated hive inspections (which are amazing!), we recommend using a shorter hive stand or a stand that matches the height of your preferred seat. Also, it is important to position the bottom boards so that the entrances to each brood chamber are on opposite sides. This helps prevent drifting between colonies.

Because of their size, we generally don't use ratchet straps on the Two Queen Keeper. We do however use bricks on the roof to keep things weighed down. 


STARTING COLONIES

Introducing a colony into the Two Queen Keeper is straightforward. We have several guides on how to start new colonies using a few different methods:

 

MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES

We are currently working on extensive and informative guides on colony management and those will be published in the coming months! For now, please check out our overview of seasonal colony management and any of our relevant YouTube videos – especially this detailed breakdown from George about what to look for during a hive inspection.

Thanks again for your support! If you have any questions about our guides, feedback, or requests for additional information, don't hesitate to contact us via email at support@thekeepershive.com.