More rookie Q?s

saltybluegrass · June 03, 2019, 11:52:57 PM

My best hive has a 10 frame super that has 2-3 good honey frames and 2-3 more with a lot of nectar or uncapped honey. The brood box is doing fine lots of eggs/larvae/capped brood pollen and nectar.
Being new , I want some honey, I?m excited
Can I take a couple full frames out, squeeze the end frames into the middle and add a couple of new undrawn on the outsides?
I guess my question is what do I do now?

BeeMaster2 · June 04, 2019, 08:03:26 AM

Salty,
Being in south Florida, especially if you are in a heavy residential area, I would expect your flow to just keep on going especially if you are getting weekly rains. Sounds like your flow is still on because you still have nectar.
Go ahead and pull 2 capped frames and enjoy. I suspect you have a lot more honey coming in this year.
Commercial beeks up here only winter in one deep box. They do have to feed sometimes.
Jim Altmiller

Acebird · June 04, 2019, 08:30:11 AM

Jim, they say we are in a drought. 12 days of no rain, temps in the 90"s.

BeeMaster2 · June 04, 2019, 09:52:27 AM

Ace,
Same here only longer. I thought I saw some big storms down south but I have no idea where Salty is.
We are supposed to have rain today. We are praying for it.
Jim Altmiller

Acebird · June 04, 2019, 11:20:16 AM

Flash storms. Don't last but 5 minutes. Evaporate almost as fast. I think salty is on the treasure coast not far from me.

TheHoneyPump · June 04, 2019, 12:49:43 PM

When correctly setup and managed;
all the honey in the supers is for you. Everything in the brood box(es) below is for the bees.
In other words, take anything or everything you want to from the supers. Take nothing from the brood chambers.

In your question, you are talking about honey in the super. Based on above, yes of course take what you want. Caution though to check that what is in the super is actually ripened honey. Bees will also use the super to stash incoming nectar until they get to process it. A frame may be full and heavy with -honey-that is raw nectar. Look for frames that are 50% capped. Take only those.

Hope that helps!

saltybluegrass · June 04, 2019, 03:19:55 PM

We had a little dry spell but lord did it make up for it last week. And now the daily pop up showers stroll through. I?m mowing the grass high just in case pop ups stop.
I?m sure you mean 50 percent of a frame and not the comb as I think 🤔 I don?t use nectar for anything . Do they use this nectar in the brood box or will it all get made into capped honey?
Thanks friends
More to come

TheHoneyPump · June 04, 2019, 11:14:41 PM

Quote from: saltybluegrass on June 04, 2019, 03:19:55 PM
We had a little dry spell but lord did it make up for it last week. And now the daily pop up showers stroll through. I?m mowing the grass high just in case pop ups stop.
I?m sure you mean 50 percent of a frame and not the comb as I think 🤔 I don?t use nectar for anything . Do they use this nectar in the brood box or will it all get made into capped honey?
Thanks friends
More to come

They can use up to 2 times more space for nectar storage and processing than what it will be after it is stirred and ripened into honey. Nectar takes up a lot of space.
On an in rush (aka flow), they push that excess nectar up into the super to keep the brood nest clear for queen and brood. They later bring it back down to feed to the brood. What they do not need to bring back down will stay up there. They will get on with ripening and capping it.

When the flow is on, super twice the space you think you will get for honey. If you are expecting one box of honey, put two supers on.

saltybluegrass · June 05, 2019, 12:23:16 AM

My second to last dumb question-
How does one know a flow is on ? My guess would be frame inspection because I?m not seeing any little brown jugs with XXX flying in

BeeMaster2 · June 05, 2019, 08:13:11 AM

I was told by a 93 year old, still active beekeeper to catch a returning bee and squeeze its abdomen. If the flow is on, a drop of nectar will come out of her mouth.
Watch the entrance activity. During a flow it is fast paced.
When you?re in the hive, during a flow, if you are gentle, the bees will ignore you. During a dearth, they get aggressive and if you are paying attention, you will start seeing robbing. The bees coming in are not going to the normal entrance. They are entering at the open frames on top and any frames that are out of the hive. When you see this, it?s time to quickly close the hive up and get a hose and sprinkler out that puts out a constant spray in all directions, and put it on top of the hive/hives.
Jim Altmiller

Acebird · June 05, 2019, 11:05:52 AM

Quote from: saltybluegrass on June 05, 2019, 12:23:16 AM
My second to last dumb question-
How does one know a flow is on ?

When a flow is on hive gains weight which means honey is being stored instead of being consumed.

TheHoneyPump · June 05, 2019, 07:29:27 PM

Quote from: saltybluegrass on June 05, 2019, 12:23:16 AM
My second to last dumb question-
How does one know a flow is on ? My guess would be frame inspection because I?m not seeing any little brown jugs with XXX flying in

By external observation. The sun is shining, the air stinks of floral aromas, and the landing board at the hive entrance is busier than Orlando International Airport.

By internal observation. Lift the lid. The appearance of white wax along the top bars of the frames.

.

saltybluegrass · June 07, 2019, 10:00:51 AM

https://youtu.be/FHa7_Xxjfe8
Was wondering about a SBB would solve this front porch sitting. They?re out there every day all day - it?s a full sun hive - I was thinking about removing the flow frames and trading out traditional .

Second video is a good hive that talked about above taking honey from.
I saw this activity 2 weeks ago and now today at 9 am . 30 minutes later it?s back to normal
https://youtu.be/iU_S76rzBNo

Can I slide a deep between the honey flow super and the brood box? They are quite busy in the flow frames

I also understand beeks stance vs FF but I had a lot of money a few months ago and bought everything I wanted

BeeMaster2 · June 07, 2019, 10:35:19 AM

They look like good healthy hives. If anything I would add insulation under the top to stop the radiant heat from the sun.
Jim

Acebird · June 07, 2019, 11:11:01 AM

Open up the entrance on the plastic hive as much as you can.
I would like to see you use the flow frames next year when the hive is fully established before the main flow. Use the flow frames as the third box.

TheHoneyPump · June 07, 2019, 11:33:17 AM

In that video. The bee activity flinging about in front of the entrance is normal. The event is the young bees, the next wave of new foraging force, orienting to the hive. This happens mid to late afternoon everyday that the weather is nice. The number of bees depends on the size if the brood patch that age group that day came from. No problems, a good thing, carry-on.

Look up -orientation flights- to learn more about it.

saltybluegrass · June 07, 2019, 11:53:39 AM

Awesome awesome awesome!!! I almost turned the sprinkler on thinking it was robbing!
Reading how much science you all know so overwhelmed me, I started thinking that even beekeeping may be too hard. But I have found so much welcomed help here. Thankyou
Thanks for the help.
Jim that is an insulated top on the plastic hive - kinda like a cooler for drinks - if you?re talking about the wood hive , it has an inner screen top with that cathedral roof and holes , what else could I use?
I also put swifters in my hives but what?s the next tool for SHB ?

saltybluegrass · June 07, 2019, 12:35:40 PM

Quote from: TheHoneyPump on June 04, 2019, 11:14:41 PM
Quote from: saltybluegrass on June 04, 2019, 03:19:55 PM
We had a little dry spell but lord did it make up for it last week. And now the daily pop up showers stroll through. I?m mowing the grass high just in case pop ups stop.
I?m sure you mean 50 percent of a frame and not the comb as I think 🤔 I don?t use nectar for anything . Do they use this nectar in the brood box or will it all get made into capped honey?
Thanks friends
More to come

They can use up to 2 times more space for nectar storage and processing than what it will be after it is stirred and ripened into honey. Nectar takes up a lot of space.
On an in rush (aka flow), they push that excess nectar up into the super to keep the brood nest clear for queen and brood. They later bring it back down to feed to the brood. What they do not need to bring back down will stay up there. They will get on with ripening and capping it.

When the flow is on, super twice the space you think you will get for honey. If you are expecting one box of honey, put two supers on.

Will watching this nectar storing or honey making in the super tell me about my brood box? As in if there?s a lot of nectar vs honey does that mean the queen needs more working room?
This hive was formed from under
A neighbors landscape rock.
This seems to bee a healthy strain - they may have requeened on their own after bringing them home.
Would you and how would you make another hive from this?

CoolBees · June 07, 2019, 01:15:09 PM

Quote from: saltybluegrass on June 07, 2019, 12:35:40 PM
... Will watching this nectar storing or honey making in the super tell me about my brood box? ...

Salty - I can only answer this one question. The answer is NO. How much nectar is coming in, does not show the health of the brood chamber - until it's too late (or nearly so). Problems, that need to be dealt with (to keep the hive healthy), can be developing in the brood chamber while massive amounts of nectar are pouring in. Speaking from personal experience here - by the time you see honey production problems (flowers blooming, but no continued increase in nectar/honey) you will have waited too long to deal with the problem(s). Occasional brood nest inspections (alcohol wash, visual, etc) will help you know if everything is fine, or your intervention is needed - maybe every 2 months until you learn the cycles of problems that you are faced with in you area. That's my thoughts.

Hopefully others will chime in regarding this, and your remaining questions.

BeeMaster2 · June 07, 2019, 01:49:12 PM

Salty,
Jim that is an insulated top on the plastic hive - kinda like a cooler for drinks - if you?re talking about the wood hive , it has an inner screen top with that cathedral roof and holes , what else could I use?

Screen tops sounds like a good idea to us but they do not work for the bees. Every hive I have has one. From experience, I now have an insulation board on top of the STBs. The bees can control the temperature of the hive much better with the insulation board than with it open. I also have another insulation board in the top.
Jim Altmiller