expanding comb

[jl]

I posted a week or so ago about how many hive bodies i need to leave the bees over the winter and I came up with another question.  My thought is when I bought my hive parts I was initially planning on leaving them three deep hive bodies.  Now that I realize it isn't necessary to leave them three, I have an extra deep hive body with frames and foundation now.  I am planning on getting another hive next year and I was wondering if it would be okay to give this first hive the third deep this year and have them draw out the comb and then next spring take the third one away and start my second hive in it, basically giving this new hive a head start because they'll have the foundation drawn into comb already.  Is this possible?

[Kathyp]

yup.  that's exactly what i did.  took my 3rd box from last year and used it to start a package this year.  using drawn comb is common and does give them a bit of a head start.

not going to try for any honey? :-)

[jl]

i'd like to get some honey, but i'm thinking if i'm going to get a second hive next year i'll end up with more honey next year.  this is my first year doing this and i'm just having fun learning about the bees and watching them work, i started the hive on 28th of april with all new stuff and they've already drawn out all the comb in the bottom deep and 6 frames in the second as of last saturday.  The second deep they drew out the 6 frames in a week.  so i'm interested to see how much they've drawn this weekend.

jeff

[Kathyp]

whatever you choose to do, it's ok.  you may be able to go 3 deep and take honey too.  there is nothing that says you can't use the honey out of your extra deep super.  i saved mine last year and fed it back, but that was just my thing.

last year i went 3 deep and took off 2 shallows of honey from a 1st year package.  this year, i am barely filling 2 deeps on 3 hives and probably getting no honey.  bad year. 

[jl]

that's not good.  Since this is my first year I'm unsure if it's been a good or bad year.  I know there were tons of apple blossoms and the clover behind my house is in bloom, but I don't have anything to compare it to since I never really paid attention to flowers before this year and frankly i'm flying by the seat of my pants as i don't really have a clue what i'm doing!!!! :-D
Jeff

[Kathyp]

fortunately for all of us, the bees do know what they are doing.  if we resist the urge to "help" to much, they do ok.  of course....we have to learn to spot the bad stuff before it wipes us out.  i lost a hive last year just because i missed the fact that they had lost their queen sometime in the winter.  we all mess up, but that's how we learn  :-).

[jl]

a friend of mine lost his only hive last year.  everything appeared to be fine in the fall and when he checked this spring all the bees were gone not a trace of them!  last year was his first year.  i've got my fingers crossed for me.