We've got a hive that is backfilling the brood nest like crazy. The flow around here is getting started and they've taken it seriously. We're foundationless and tried feeding frames into the brood nest and moving the honey to upper box, hoping they'd build out and give the queen more room. Unfortunately, they didn't take the hint. They simply expanded brood comb outward into the empty space and filled it up with nectar. The brood nest is only taking up about a medium box and a half (8-frame boxes). It's contracting, not expanding. If I had extra comb to throw in there, that would be ideal, but I don't. I need some ideas. Anyone?
Put an empty frame or 2 of foundation in the brood chamber to draw. If they need brood the queen will place eggs as soon as it is 1/4" deep and they will not put honey in it.
Jim
Foundation is key here...the queen can lay before nectar can be stored.
why isn't the queen laying, if she was keen to lay the bees would shift honey up into the super.
Is there room in the super?
Has the queen been a good layer or is she failing and they haven't superceded her for what ever reason?
If it was Autumn in Oz then the bees have decided the season is over and we are stacking stores for winter.