Hello everyone! Well this is my second year having bees. I have 5 hives and 3 of them are swarms that I've gotten this year. I was wondering if a swarm that I got a couple of weeks would start building in the super this summer of if they would just fill the brood box and quit at that?
You should have enough time for the bees to build up two brood boxes, and MAYBE store enough honey for the winter. Depending on how many pounds you need to make it through the winter.
I wouldn't expect too much more. I'm guessing that at the very best you might get - 2 brood boxes, 1 honey super, and weather permiting 50 to 75 pounds of honey. And at the lowest - 2 mostly finished brood boxes, with 20 or so pounds of honey (mostly on the corners of the brood frames).
Just my guess. :)
Beth
They will do whatever they do. Trying to predict is like long term weather forcasting. Not very reliable. It's likely they will build up nicely enough to get through the winter. It's possible they will make some surplus honey.