Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Steel Tiger on May 29, 2014, 03:53:59 PM

Title: Buckfast Update
Post by: Steel Tiger on May 29, 2014, 03:53:59 PM
 I checked the hive a few days ago and the frame with eggs that I put in was empty. I added a frame of mostly capped brood that also had brood of different stages, along with the nurse bees that were on it.
Today I went in to see if any queen cells were being build. I decided to check for wonky comb in the super first and I pulled out a frame of brood. I flipped the frame and there was the queen. She decided to move to the top medium and live there. I checked the next medium and it was packed with honey. I went ahead and swapped them out so she was sitting directly on top on the deep.
Hopefully she'll move down soon. If not, I'll invest in a couple of excluders to get her laying in the deep.
All in all, it was a nice surprise to see her.
Title: Re: Buckfast Update
Post by: biggraham610 on May 29, 2014, 07:01:37 PM
shoot us a picture of her next time..........
Title: Re: Buckfast Update
Post by: buzzbee on May 29, 2014, 09:26:27 PM
Bees will move down as the top fills. Thats one reason why I don't give them an extra box on a new install,I let them build up the brood box first,then add the next box.
Title: Re: Buckfast Update
Post by: capt44 on May 29, 2014, 10:37:49 PM
I do the same, let them fill out the brood box before adding another box.
Title: Re: Buckfast Update
Post by: Steel Tiger on May 30, 2014, 09:34:02 PM
Quote from: capt44 on May 29, 2014, 10:37:49 PM
I do the same, let them fill out the brood box before adding another box.
All the boxes were full of capped honey and no place to store them. I figured the bees would get off to a great start with having so much in reserve.

The frame of brood I put in was more than 50% capped. The hive should have a nice population boom in a week or so. Not long after that, the brood that the queen laid should be emerging. I'll check it in two weeks to see if the queen went down into the deep or moved up to the top.