I've got a package that I installed in April. They are about 60% drawn out in the second box. I run all medium boxes, so I'm shooting for 3 for the brood nest. This queen lays end bar to end bar, and leaves one row of cells on the along the bottoms bar and about 3 rows on the top. In the second box, she is putting an egg in every cell as soon as they get it drawn out. I saw some cells yesterday that I think have been backfilled with syrup. I was still feeding to encourage them to draw it out faster. I don't see a whole lot of stored syrup, maybe one frame, and i don't think any way capped. I am thinking it may be time to stop feeding, but I am not sure because I think we are about at the end of anything blooming. Should I continue to feed? Whats your thoughts? Can I just feed maybe a quart a week? When I do feed, they take almost a quart a day.
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I would make a jar feeder with 3 small holes in the lid. Continue feeding 24/7, but limit their intake to what they eat and can draw comb for.
Quote from: iddee on June 05, 2016, 03:48:03 PM
I would make a jar feeder with 3 small holes in the lid. Continue feeding 24/7, but limit their intake to what they eat and can draw comb for.
Thanks for the reply. I did exactly that just before I read your reply. The jar I had on there had about 8-10 holes in it. Made a new kid with 3. We'll see if that slows them down.
How are their stores in the rest of the hive? If not a lot then keep feeding as planned. It takes a lot of food to feed teenagers.
Quote from: GSF on June 06, 2016, 08:20:37 AM
How are their stores in the rest of the hive? If not a lot then keep feeding as planned. It takes a lot of food to feed teenagers.
I have not seen much capped. There maybe a frame or so of uncapped. I'm just not seeing any capped on brood frames. She's filling the whole frame with eggs. It seems whatever frames they are drawing out, she is laying in them as soon as they draw if out. They're taking about a quart a day, so its going somewhere. i just don't want them to backfill and her swarm. Its getting close to time to add a 3rd medium, so maybe that'll put me at ease a bit.
Sounds like you have a laying machine. How cold does it get there?
If your weather is like mine, when it gets close to winter, they will probably reduce the brood down to 2 boxes and need a super of honey above that to make it. Until the maple starts to bloom at the end of January.
Depending on terrain, I would expect you will probably have a fall flow, probably Goldenrod if nothing else.
Jim
Quote from: sawdstmakr on June 08, 2016, 07:19:59 AM
Sounds like you have a laying machine. How cold does it get there?
If your weather is like mine, when it gets close to winter, they will probably reduce the brood down to 2 boxes and need a super of honey above that to make it. Until the maple starts to bloom at the end of January.
Depending on terrain, I would expect you will probably have a fall flow, probably Goldenrod if nothing else.
Jim
Jim. We have relatively warm winters. It can get down into the high 20's on occasion. Very rarely below that. I'd say average in the high 40's, with daytime highs through winter mostly in the low 50's.
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Do they consume syrup at night? mine did not ever
Quote from: Matt J on June 07, 2016, 08:47:28 AM
Its getting close to time to add a 3rd medium, so maybe that'll put me at ease a bit.
How many undrawn frames do you have in the second box?
Quote from: Acebird on June 09, 2016, 09:05:04 AM
Quote from: Matt J on June 07, 2016, 08:47:28 AM
Its getting close to time to add a 3rd medium, so maybe that'll put me at ease a bit.
How many undrawn frames do you have in the second box?
3.5. Ill probably add the 3rd box in a couple days.
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Wait until the brood is capped and then pull up two.