Hey
As i have said before here in the forum, this spring i got my first swarm (here in Lahti area in Finland!).
Here is what happened today.
I have been on holiday for 2 and half weeks.
A couple of weeks before leaving i added a super (on top of the brood box).
The week before leaving went to check and they were just starting to build comb on the center frame.
So i thought it would be ok to go on holiday like this.
I went now to check on them and the super is FULL. Every single frame was full of capped honey.
But now my question is: hmmm... are the bees feeling like they have no more space and feel like swarming?
I wanted to take out the super and look inside the brood box and look for queen cells, but the weather was changing, wind picking up, dark clouds coming, so i decided on something different.
I had standing next to this beehive another one. The second beehive was empty waiting for a swarm! I took that box (can i call it super?), put inside some new frames with new foundation and added it to the first beehive (the one that was full).
Was this a good idea?
On monday i have to go on work for a week to Wien, in Austria, so maybe tomorrow if the weather is fine i go again and take a look to the brood box.
What are your ideas and advices on this situation?
Thanks
there is nothing wrong with what you did, but you probably will not want to leave 3 boxes on for winter. you really need to look into that bottom box because a better solution is probably to pull some frames that are full and replace them, rather than having a 3rd box on. also, you need to know what's going on down there. it does no good to add a 3rd box to the top if the queen has no place to lay below.
hopefully you'll get a day that's good enough for you to check. another idea might be to put the 3rd box under the other two. that way the queen could move down. this could be done without disruption of the hive.
PM finski. he's in your country and he's got lots of experience. i'm sure he could give you some area specific ideas.
Ditto on checking with Finski.
Thanks.
Well, i guess i will check with Finski! ;)
Bogus
Glad you made it over here as said Finski will help
all others here are very helpful also but he has been keeping in your area
Since the first snow,now I'm not saying he's as old as dirt,but he's been around
bee's for a while.
Welcome to the best and friendliest Bee forum on the net
Tommyt