How long do you wait to put supers on after you installed a new package of bees? Thanks
As a first year beekeeper this is a question I had to ask too.
Even though I have only had my bees in the hive for three weeks - in bad weather.
I was told 'wait until you have to'. To which I replied 'when is 'you have to'. To which I was given the answer.
'If you're working a Langstroth 10 frame, wait until you have some full frames of brood and around seven which have been draw more than half. Your first year of building, the bees, might never touch the end frames'.
After inspecting my hive - with bad weather and all - I need to wait a while - they have only drawn a small group of center frames.
I was also taught in the same conversation that 'bees don't like to eat cold sugar syrup'.
When you have 6 or 7 frames of bees, you can add a second box.
Most folks want two brood boxes if using deeps, or 3 if using mediums. After you get them Drawn out you can add some honey supers to the stack.
the frames are already drawn out.. i am just waiting for the brood...
I hived a package of bees April 7th. I have that hive and another that I started in march from a nuc.
My mentor came out this past weekend told me that it was time for an excluder and a super. We shall see how that works out.