Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: RangerBrad on June 08, 2010, 09:17:18 PM

Title: Lack of honey cause bee's to make more honey?
Post by: RangerBrad on June 08, 2010, 09:17:18 PM
Howdy folks, Long time beek told me if I took the honey supers that the bees have allready filled that they would make more. More importantly that if I left full supers on them that they would slack up filling other empty supers that are on top and that if I went ahead and robbed them as they filled frames or supers they would make alot more honey. Is there truth to this or maybe something that he was just told and is passing on? Thank's, Brad
Title: Re: Lack of honey cause bee's to make more honey?
Post by: John Schwartz on June 08, 2010, 09:19:06 PM
More or less true...if a good year and things are going normal, you can harvest and replace with empty frames or add more supers. Just leaving it there could also cause them to backfill lower down and prevent the queen from laying as much as she might. My $.02.
Title: Re: Lack of honey cause bee's to make more honey?
Post by: Klepto Kangaroo on June 08, 2010, 09:28:08 PM
it's not so much that they make more when you give them frames with previously used wax on them...but it allows them to spend less honey and time making new wax, making it easier for them to fill the supers up. At least that's what i've been told...
Title: Re: Lack of honey cause bee's to make more honey?
Post by: riverrat on June 09, 2010, 12:59:19 AM
the secret art of bee keeping is supering up heavy with drawn comb fooling the bees into thinking they need to store more nectar when the flow is on. if they dont have room they are like any other worker they will lay down on the job. Ans cut into your honey lbs
Title: Re: Lack of honey cause bee's to make more honey?
Post by: Michael Bush on June 09, 2010, 05:26:49 AM
That is one theory.  Another is that only bees do an adequate job of guarding the honey from ants, wax moths etc... so leave it on.