Available in 8-frame and 10-frame, the features of this Advanced Double Screen make it an essential tool in your apiary for colony splits and more. Here’s why:
First, it has extra high walls to make sure a swarm cell does not get crushed when a swarm cell frame is placed over the double screen.
Second, the removeable center divider accommodates both full hive boxes or a pair of 4-frame nuc boxes, or even a center divider board.
Third, the double screen has two entries, to accommodate either a strong single colony or a pair of four-frame nucs placed on it.
Fourth, each entry has a gate that allows you to reduce the entry for a small colony, and increase access as the colony grows. It also makes for a ventilated moving screen or an emergency bottom board.
Note: Double screens enable you to split your hive with less risk. By placing the split colony above the parent over a double screen, the split colony retains access to the parent colony’s heat while preventing the queen mandibular pheromone from being transferred to the split colony. This is a great benefit for cool weather splits. Additinally, if the split does not take, you can easily recombine them by simply removing the double screen.
When doing splits, remember to reverse the double screen entrance to reduce forager drift from split colony to parent colony.
