Checked my hive today. Every frame in deep brood chamber and medium supper on top is drawn out. Very crowded nice brood pattern in both chambers! Medium supper have 4 frames of capped honey the rest are a mix of brood, honey on top of the frame and pollen. The ladies drank the three galon top sugar water feeder dry for the second time in two month. I placed a new medium supper however, I am wondering if I should put a queen excluder and try to harves some honey this summer between now and August or just place the top feeder on top and fill it up with sugar water and let the colony thrive. I installed this colony from a package on May 17th 2008 and this is the first season. What should I do :? ?
You could try adding another super. The question I have is what do you want to do. I got some honey my first year from a cutout, but didn't expect any. I had stopped feeding (top) when I looked inside and all the comb was attached, they were making more comb and were not drinking the syrup, the last of which was about to turn bad.
I would stop feeding and put on another box myself.
Quote from: qa33010 on July 09, 2008, 02:05:47 AM
I would stop feeding and put on another box myself.
I'll second that.
The only problem I see is that the honey is being made from the sugar syrup that your feeding them, if you don't plan on eating or taking it I guess its not an issue, however it won't make very good honey for your table. I think, that you should also quit feeding, let them go get there own. Because that is what they do, feed if its a dearth or when there a nicelly new package. After that ,,, they should aught to get there own. LOL
i third, but would skip the queen excluder. while i have no serious objection to them, in this case, building up the hive is more important than getting honey. if they store extra honey in the new super, you can take it. if they need the room for brood, let them have it.