All my equipment is new this year. My bees are drawing comb and expanding well in the brood boxes. Should I add my first super a little early so they can draw comb before the flow?
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You are applying human logic to bees, they do not pre prepare for an event. That is your logic.
Bees draw comb as the require it, so the nectar flow will get them to draw comb and they won't draw comb till they have filled the brood box.
Don't rush the bees. When they are putting comb and honey in all the spare spaces, then they need a super.
I think differ'nt.
If you know there's a flow a'coming, get ready. Put one of your super frames (shallow? medium?) in the 8th or 9th position in the top brood box. then when they get to drawing it (NOT laying in it, just started drawing) then you pull that frame and replace with a (deep?) frame, add your super, put that fresh-started frame in the center. "c'mon up here, bees." I tell them "let's go. rock and roll."
But I mess up in a lot of ways, so best to listen to the other guys.
You may tell them "lets go, rock and roll" but they will do it at their pace which is determined by the nectar flow.
Quote from: Oldbeavo on May 26, 2019, 06:26:13 AM
You may tell them "lets go, rock and roll" but they will do it at their pace which is determined by the nectar flow.
:) You are right.
And, you said yourself, the bees don't know when the nectar flow is. The humans do, to some degree: we can look at the flower buds in a blackberry hedge and see they're about to pop. And we can keep notes year over year (or, even better, look at the notes of the guy beside us who has been keeping notes year over year -) and know when the show will be over. So we can be ahead of the bees, we don't have to be behind.
But at the end of the day, as you say, the bees gonna do what they're gonna do. "Let's go, rock and roll." ;)
Quote from: yes2matt on May 26, 2019, 07:35:50 AM
Quote from: Oldbeavo on May 26, 2019, 06:26:13 AM
You may tell them "lets go, rock and roll" but they will do it at their pace which is determined by the nectar flow.
:) You are right.
And, you said yourself, the bees don't know when the nectar flow is. The humans do, to some degree: we can look at the flower buds in a blackberry hedge and see they're about to pop. And we can keep notes year over year (or, even better, look at the notes of the guy beside us who has been keeping notes year over year -) and know when the show will be over. So we can be ahead of the bees, we don't have to be behind.
But at the end of the day, as you say, the bees gonna do what they're gonna do. "Let's go, rock and roll." ;)
Matt, I have found Oldbeavo to post solid, accurate, reliable information time and time again, I always look forward to listening to what he has to say, and eagerly look forward to his next post. I can also say this about many others here. This is a good place to be to learn more about bees. Thats my personal opinion and I am unanimous in this! Ha Ha :grin:
Phillip