How To Use A Quiet Box To Improve Hive Inspections

When performing hive inspections, beekeepers typically remove at least one frame from the brood box before inspecting the remaining frames. This creates space for the remaining frames to be moved in and out of the box with less risk of "rolling" the queen, a common issue for beginner beekeepers that can be a major setback for the colony. In addition, once the queen is identified it can be helpful to set aside the frame she's on before continuing the inspection for the same reason. So where do these set aside frames go?

Rather than placing them on the ground and leaning them against the hive, hoping the queen doesn't wander off into the grass, the simple solution is to use a quiet box. A quiet box is typically a 5-frame extra deep nuc box with a cover. When inspecting a hive, any frames that are removed can be placed inside the quiet box and covered. This not only helps prevent the accidental loss of the queen, but can also help keep the bees calm. Plus, the bees and brood will be protected from the heat and drying effects of the sun.

With The Keeper's Hive, you may need to remove up to four frames from the single deep brood chamber in order to reach the other four frames that are below the "spacer" box (the box above the queen excluder). Often, removing just two or three frames is sufficient to assess the health of your colony, but a quiet box becomes a very useful tool during inspections regardless of how many frames you end up removing.

The main downside of using a quiet box is that it adds an extra piece of equipment to your setup. The queen may also occasionally walk off the frame and onto the side wall of the box, requiring the beekeeper to relocate her and gently usher her back in the brood chamber. Along those lines, bees left in the quiet box after the frames have been replaced will need to be shaken or brushed back into the hive at the end of your inspection.

Despite these minor downsides, we highly recommend making a quiet box a standard piece of equipment in your apiary. We are planning to sell one in the future, but they can also be made fairly easily by modifying a 5 frame deep nuc. Quiet boxes provide a convenient and secure place to store frames and keep them out of harm's way while working within your hive, allowing you to focus on the task at hand with less stress. And they're especially helpful when positioned right next to the stool during seated inspections of The Keeper's Hive :)

Every two weeks we invite owners of The Keeper's Hive to join our Co-founder and head beekeeper George Datto for a live Zoom session where we answer their questions and discuss management strategies. Below are recordings of the meetings, some topics may repeat a few times but every session contains a wide variety of information that could be helpful to any beekeeper!

As always, contact us with any questions at hello@thekeepershive.com

4/16/2025 - Zoom Recording

4/16/25 Topics Discussed:

  1. How do you encourage bees to work above the queen excluder?
  2. What should be done with the exchange box during the season?
  3. How do you perform a rolling Demaree in a two-queen setup?
  4. Can I split a hive and use it to populate a two-queen Keeper hive?
  5. How do you get bees to draw out frames in the Keeper’s Hive?
  6. Why might my Keeper’s Hive go queenless?
  7. How and when should I make a split to populate my Keeper’s Hive?
  8. What methods and timing do you recommend for mite control?

4/30/2025 - Zoom Recording

4/30/25 Topics Discussed:

  1. If you use a telescoping cover with a notched inner cover, will drones be able to get out?
  2. Regarding leaving an opening for drones to exit:
  3. Do you have any recommendations for removing pollen from honey frames?
  4. Should we do anything to manage the frames in the spacer box?
  5. Where should honey supers be placed — above or below the exchange box?
  6. How do you decide if a second Demaree is needed?
  7. Do frame guards provide hiding spots for beetles?
  8. What should I do if the Keeper’s Hive swarms?
  9. To help packages start, I placed a honey frame in the spacer box on each side of the double.
  10. When painting queens, should you let the paint dry first?
  11. I’ve had some trouble with frame guards falling out.
  12. Can you make a small box out of screen and place it over the queen temporarily to confine her in a small area?

5/14/2025 - Zoom Recording

5/14/25 Topics Discussed:

  1. We are confused about box positioning.
  2. If I put two single-queen Keeper hives back-to-back, would it function the same as a two-queen Keeper?
  3. I tried to use a queen isolation cage in the brood box, but it would not fit.
  4. What should be done after a hive swarms?
  5. Where should honey supers be placed?
  6. Do you feed splits?
  7. When executing a Demaree, why not move capped brood into the spacer box instead?
  8. How large does a two-queen system need to be before it can be used as a starter/finisher for queen rearing?
  9. Quick question regarding design:
  10. In queen rearing, does the Cloake board go above or below the spacer box?

5/28/2025 - Zoom Recording

5/28/25 Topics Discussed:

  1. What is the purpose of the spacer box?
  2. In the video on installing a package, the top box is used to feed the bees.
  3. In South Carolina, we experience a dearth from late June into July and August.
  4. If you attempt a Demaree but can’t find the queen, and she ends up in the exchange box, will the colony treat the exchange box as the new brood box?
  5. George, could you discuss the placement and use of green drone frames as part of IPM in a two-queen Keeper hive?
  6. Could you share any experiences with using the newer oxalic acid (OA) strips in 2QK or 1QK hives?
  7. When sharing brood between colonies, should capped brood be moved with or without the nurse bees on the frame?

6/11/2025 - Zoom Recording

6/11/25 Topics Discussed:

  1. How should I manage a single Keeper hive to support winter bee health and ensure sufficient honey reserves for overwintering?
  2. Regarding Demaree timing:
  3. What should be done if a hive goes queenless?
  4. What should be done if a hive becomes heavily populated?
  5. What should be done if a colony is not capping nectar?
  6. Our transfer box frames are bare.
  7. In a 2QK populated in early May, the bees immediately built comb between the excluder and the frames under the spacer box.
  8. I have a two-hive Keeper, but one side is stronger than the other.
  9. Recent experience:

6/25/2025 - Zoom Recording

6/25/25 Topics Discussed:

  1. Mite management!

7/9/2025 - Zoom Recording

7/9/25 Topics Discussed:

  1. Queens (general queen management, single vs. two-queen setups)
  2. Brood (brood frames, brood management, Demaree references)
  3. Honey (production, storage, supering, and related issues)
  4. Exchange box (its role and management)
  5. Robbing (concerns and prevention)

7/23/2025 - Zoom Recording

7/23/25 Topics Discussed:

  1. What are the benefits or drawbacks of charring wood to preserve it by burning the inside of a hive?
  2. What can be done if a two-queen Keeper hive becomes nectar-bound despite regular Demarees?
  3. How should preparations for overwintering differ between a single-queen hive and a double-queen hive?
  4. What steps can be taken to prevent wax moths and small hive beetles during overwintering?

8/6/2025 - Zoom Recording

8/6/25 Topics Discussed:

  1. Can you give a quick review of how to do a Formic Pro treatment, or tell me which Lunch and Learn covered it previously, since I am going to treat later today?
  2. Do you perform mite counts on both sides of a two-queen hive, or do you assume they will be identical?
  3. What should be done if the bees have done nothing with the foundation in either spacer box of a two-queen Keeper hive, leaving it exactly as it was when set up? Should the frames just be replaced with drawn comb from the exchange box in the hope that they fill it with honey, or should the bees be fed instead?
  4. What are the best ways to address robbing?
  5. How should a one-queen Keeper hive be managed for overwintering?
  6. How should a two-queen Keeper hive be managed for overwintering?