The Flow's On in FL

tlynn · March 22, 2009, 10:36:26 AM

Great inspection yesterday - revealed a nearly full super in my strongest hive after being on 2 weeks. Added a 2nd super. I assume our flow is citrus and am seeing some trees flower but not much yet. My trees still haven't started flowering at all. I also added a 2nd deep last week and they had nearly drawn it out completely and already depositing nectar around perimeters (new duraglit). How do they know to designate that box is for brood and not the supers? Because they fill the supers from the middle outward.

They had orientation flights yesterday afternoon and it was such a high volume of bees streaming out and up the front of the hive I almost thought I was watching it swarm. I think from what everybody says about boomer hives I have one. And this is the hive that had a supersedure less than 2 weeks ago. Hope our new queen keeps up the pace!

My less strong hive was the one I had to shrink to a nuc in December due to a failing queen and wax moths and have nursed it back to a full deep. It's building honey stores and has about 3 frames of good pattern brood. It should be ready for a super soon though I am still a little reluctant because it's really only got 5-6 frames full of bees. Since there's a flow on do I just watch for back filling brood comb?

What fun!

Tracy

crowhammer · March 22, 2009, 10:42:35 AM

Good for you! I noticed some of the oranges were starting to flower in southern Hernando County middle of last week.

pdmattox · March 22, 2009, 12:15:27 PM

Oh yes it is on. Oranges are blooming big time in Dade city. I got them down there just in time for the main flow and they are filling up the boxes fast.

buzzbee · March 22, 2009, 12:22:00 PM

OK,I'm jealous!!

vermmy35 · March 22, 2009, 01:11:12 PM

Quote from: buzzbee on March 22, 2009, 12:22:00 PM
OK,I'm jealous!!

Me too my bee's won't be here until the end of april :'(

rast · March 22, 2009, 04:04:04 PM

"My less strong hive was the one I had to shrink to a nuc in December due to a failing queen and wax moths and have nursed it back to a full deep. It's building honey stores and has about 3 frames of good pattern brood. It should be ready for a super soon though I am still a little reluctant because it's really only got 5-6 frames full of bees. Since there's a flow on do I just watch for back filling brood comb"

Tracey, I would add a box as soon as they have 8 frames combed. They won't build unless they feel they have the room to. They will get into a swarm mindset if there is a flow on and they feel cramped.

tlynn · March 22, 2009, 04:10:38 PM

Quote from: rast on March 22, 2009, 04:04:04 PM
"My less strong hive was the one I had to shrink to a nuc in December due to a failing queen and wax moths and have nursed it back to a full deep. It's building honey stores and has about 3 frames of good pattern brood. It should be ready for a super soon though I am still a little reluctant because it's really only got 5-6 frames full of bees. Since there's a flow on do I just watch for back filling brood comb"

Tracey, I would add a box as soon as they have 8 frames combed. They won't build unless they feel they have the room to. They will get into a swarm mindset if there is a flow on and they feel cramped.

Rick, this hive has all combed frames. I just gave them back what I had taken in December. Tyey are putting nectar in between capped brood I noticed. Should I go ahead and give them a super? Only thing there is only 6 frames of bees max right now, yet lots of capped brood.

rast · March 22, 2009, 05:59:43 PM

In that case I would probably take an outside frame of comb and move it in next to the brood. Just slide the others farther out. See if she lays in it or they just use it for stores.
That will buy some time and make them expand the hive sideways. I have a hive that I did that to on both sides(one at a time). After doing that I added another box and they moved right up into it also. Seems like they want to build up, not out.