I got a nuc back at the end of summer last year and didn't feed them enough, I'm afraid. Going into winter they had a full deep and about 4-6 frames on a second deep. Back at the first of January when we were having some rain and cold, I couldn't feed them, so I took a sheet of wax paper and laid on the top of the frames and put a pint jar of sugar mixed with pollen substitute and just poured it out on the paper. I finally was just able to check it today, only the top deep, I didn't look in the bottom one, but the hive itself feels light, it tipped forward as I was trying to pry a frame out of the top deep. Probably half the sugar was still there.
It looks no different really, same amount of bees, and a very small amount of honey and pollen on a few frames, with 3 frames still bare, no drawn comb, and wax moths had started to make their little tunnels in comb in two small spots, I took my hive tool and scrapped them out. I am wondering if it would be better to just take the top deep off and make all the bees go to the bottom deep, since they evidently don't have enough to protect the hive, or would they be too crowded, and it be better to take a frame or two from a big healthy hive, that has brood and bees to spare and putting in the top deep.
It is forecast to be in the 60's from Thursday through Monday in Griffin. I would go through both boxes and if there are enough empty frames to fill a box, I would remove one box. Otherwise, I would leave both boxes on. Then add to the sugar on top the frames. I would use newspaper rather than wax paper. It will help absorb moisture and be easier for the bees to tear and remove. Check often and don't let them run out of the sugar until the flow starts.
Bewildered,
Not sure how far north you are in GA but here in N FL our bees are collecting maple nectar and are building. How cold has it been? The cold weather helps to keep the bugs under control.
Are the frames above the brood full or empty. If they are empty, then I would definitely remove them.
Jim
You got a NUC at the end of summer. They filled out a deep and around five frames on a second deep. Is this 10-frame equipment?
I over-winter in a single deep and medium. If you had ten full frames in in the bottom, and 5 full deep frames of honey on top, they should have had plenty of stores for the winter. If you are seeing wax moth, you have too much room for the size of the colony. Take off the top box. Look in the bottom. You should find at least three frames of honey and pollen in that box. You may find a couple of frames in the bottom that are empty. If you have an empty frame in the bottom box, and a frame with some stores in it in the top box, switch them out.
Break this down to a single deep. Put a feeder out for them. Give them a very thick sugar syrup mixture to help tide them over till a flow starts up where you are, if it hasn't already.
Don't bee fearful of a small cluster. A small cluster doesn't need as many stores to survive. You must make the space smaller for them, though.
I agree with chux. I'd compress them into 1 deep.
Wax Moth tells me they have too much space.
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thanks ya'll.... yes, 10 frame deeps...I have been feeding, syrup with a mixture of some crystallized honey I had and a little pollen substitute thrown in...there are usually bees waiting on me when I go to refill the feeder every day...I was just wondering how could 4-5 frames of bees from the top deep fit into the bottom, if the bottom is full? No, I don't have 5 full frames of honey in the top, there was only a few frames with a very little honey in the top...I haven't been able to get back in it yet and rain coming for the next 3-4 days.
Quote from: Beewildered61 on February 20, 2016, 09:31:11 PM
thanks ya'll.... yes, 10 frame deeps...I have been feeding, syrup with a mixture of some crystallized honey I had and a little pollen substitute thrown in...there are usually bees waiting on me when I go to refill the feeder every day...I was just wondering how could 4-5 frames of bees from the top deep fit into the bottom, if the bottom is full? No, I don't have 5 full frames of honey in the top, there was only a few frames with a very little honey in the top...I haven't been able to get back in it yet and rain coming for the next 3-4 days.
When you say that the frames are full of bees, what do you mean? Do they have bees crawling on them, or do they have brood in them? If it is simply bees crawling on them, I would shake the bees into the bottom box and take the frame away. If the frame has much brood on it, then you want to keep that frame in the hive. Are all the frames in the bottom being used? It doesn't make sense that you would have 14 or 15 deep frames going strong, and have wax moths in the top box eating away. Unless you are queenless??? If you have 15 deep frames of bees, this is not a weak hive. Keep feeding them.