One Deep or Two

Steel Tiger · April 09, 2016, 01:45:16 PM

I'm off to pick up two packages of bees. Last year, the bees rejected the queen. I put a new one in and they rejected her as well. It was strange. They stored honey in the corner of the frames as if there was brood, but there was just empty comb. The hive died out in late July/ early August.
A small, late season swarm moved in. They died during the first frost. The cluster was smaller than a baseball.

So, here I am with several deeps with fully drawn frames. Most of the frames are without foundation. This year, I'll be cutting the foundation from the few that has it.

My question. Hive the packages in two deeps with fully drawn frames, or stick with a single deep? They are 10 frame.

I'll be back in a couple of hours, hopefully to see a few suggestions.

Thanks

cao · April 09, 2016, 01:57:36 PM

One ten frame deep should be more than enough room for a package of bees.

tjc1 · April 09, 2016, 05:39:31 PM

+1

Steel Tiger · April 09, 2016, 07:14:49 PM

Went with a single. Middle three frames are drawn followed by an empty on each side, then a partial and drawn to finish.

I forgot to bring food with me so I poked a couple more holes in the feed cans and set them on some sticks on top of the hives. As soon as I'm rested, I'll bring them some jars and a couple empty mediums to give them an inside feeder.

Hopefully the queens will be laying within a couple weeks. I'll pull the cages in 3 days then check for brood 10 days later. Perhaps I'll add the second deeps then.

cao · April 09, 2016, 08:46:23 PM

With the drawn frames you could have the queen laying as soon as she is released(provided they have food to feed the brood).

ggileau · April 09, 2016, 09:34:55 PM

Even a couple of drawn frames is a huge boost to a package! I've gone back a week later and have seen larvae. Don't be disappointed if the queen is superseded though. It happens a lot with package queens. Good luck!!!!!

KeyLargoBees · April 10, 2016, 11:09:07 AM

The supercedure of package queens seems to be less likely if they are given drawn frames to start and there is no "lag time" for her to start laying while the bees build comb. At least thats what I have been told by some more experienced beeks.

My guess is that the lack of brood to care for during the packaging and shipping process followed by the build up time to get foundation drawn out makes the bees think the queen is failing and they supercede her...happenned to me twice last year ;-P

So happy to have swarms to deal with this year and not packages....these swarms I caught this year are like machines when it comes to drawing out combs...much better than those sluggard packaged Georgia bees I was dealing with last year LOL.

Oldbeavo · April 10, 2016, 07:16:18 PM

I know it is a bit off topic, but in adding new queens we have been spreading icing sugar over the brood frames and bees after removing the old queen, then adding the new queen in a candy plugged cage away from the brood frames.
My theory is that once the bees have finished cleaning themselves the new queens smell has started the move through the hive and the smell of the icing sugar may have masked the old queens smell.
If the nectar flow is not great then we have been adding a single frame feeder with 50/50 sugar syrup,
At present we are on 100% success with that method.