I have 3 hives here. All pretty similar in size. I am running 8 frame mediums with 1 1/4 inch foundationless frames and top only entrances.
The past couple of peeks into the hives haven't seen much change in growth of drawn frames. 2 have pretty full bottom boxes and the top box is maybe around 30-40% drawn frames. The third hive is a recent addition from someone who had 10 frame equipment with frames using foundation, almost all of which had new drawn comb from this swarm. I switched those over to 2 of my boxes by putting his 5 middle frames into the middle of the bottom box with 4 blanks flanking those and the other 5 frames went into the outer portion of the top box in the same "order" with blanks filling in the middle void that was created from those frames that went into the bottom box. They are mostly still on his 10 frames, so maybe 50% full in both boxes.
SW FL with the cabbage palms in full bloom and now some malaleuca blooming and always bidens blooming and now some pollen from bahia grass and other stuff I'm sure I don't know about.
Question 1
I will be leaving town for maybe 25 days and wondered if I needed to just add a new box with all new undrawn frames as insurance against them running out of room?
Question 2
If I do add one to all of them what are the advantages and disadvantages of adding on top versus putting in the middle versus putting all the way on the bottom?
Thanks
Bobby
I'd add another box just to play it safe. If the swarm mode kicks in they'll be hanging in the trees.
If they have a good amount to work, I would also add a super to each. I would add it to the top. I haven't run 8 frame med., still have 10 frame deep brood boxes and med and shallow supers. I figure the 10 frame shallow super is close to the 8 frame mediums as far as weight. They probably will have brood in the bottom 2 and may in the new top or it may just have stores. Being gone for close to a month aren't you afraid of them crossing the combs. I like to keep a check on foundationless frames while they a building them so I can help straighten them.
Joe D
To answer your second question, it depends on how many bees are in the hive. Being summer and hot, you do not have to worry about chilling the brood but they do have to keep the brood at 95 degrees. If it gets hotter than that they have to have enough bees to cool them down.
If the hives have lots of bees and lots of food coming in, go ahead and checkerboard them (place an empty frame between each frame.
If they are not so strong, just add a few frames between the brood. By all means, do it in the supers, especially if they are capped honey.
Jim