Only one of my hives survived the winter, but this surviving hive swarmed last week...prior to swarming, this colony provided 3 frames of gorgeously capped comb of almost-clear honey---there are still a number of frames of nearly capped comb in the same super, but all production seems to have ground to a halt (do they just plain stop everything while waiting for the new queen to get to work?).
I installed two additional 3-pound packages in April, and each hive has drawn comb and filled two deeps with brood and stores. Brimming with bees. Last week, I place one super on each of the newly installed hives, but upon today's inspection, there is no drawn comb (or anything else) in either of those supers...they show absolutely no interest in working in there.
My question (and it definitely betrays my impatience): Am I gonna get any honey this year?!
Liz
Maybe, it is still early. Bees will only draw wax when they need it. Do you have a flow(anything blooming)? Do you have a queen excluder under your honey super? I have had cases where I had to remove the excluder to get them to draw the wax.
Steve
Bees may not be drawing the supers cause there is no flow where you are right now. I know that around here there is a pretty good fall flow with all the goldenrod. That is what I will count on this year with my new hives.
No queen excluder.
We still have quite a bit of clover blooming...it feels to me that whatever flow we've had is about to wind down, though.
I got that sinking feeling when I checked the hives today and all was quiet in those darn supers.
Be patient grasshopper. You may have a booming fall flow.
Steve
Steeeeeeeve
Fall is MONTHS away.
Advice is still the same, be patient. You still have time.
Steve
I hate to be a spoil-sport, but I think you should cherish your 3 frames of honey and make them last until next year.
While you dont have a laying queen they will backfill all brood frames with honey and pollen. When she starts to lay they will make room for her to lay and likely will need room for it and start drawing some comb. It does suck to watch everything halt after a swarm but its better than losing the colony period. The others will draw the comb if a good flow is on. Sometimes it just takes a bit for them to get working in the honey supers but when they do and there is a flow they will go to town. It is still very early in the year so I would not get worried yet. Clover just poped here, first alfalfa bloom, milk weed coming yet, basswood flow, and others. Thats my location, but you must have flow to come yet.