Darn queens in honey supers!

Started by Sean Kelly, March 09, 2008, 10:22:20 PM

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Sean Kelly

March 09, 2008, 10:22:20 PM
Hey guys!

Went out and checked on my bees the other day before I took off for work and found that in both my hives the queens moved up into the medium super I left on top of both colonies last fall for extra winter food.  I checked in all 4 hive bodies and found no brood or eggs in any of them, just up in the honey super.  It's good to know that both queens survived the winter and they are laying like crazy, I was just hoping to take those supers off and prepare the hives for Foulbrood treatments.  How can I drive the queens down so I can put on queen excluders until the brood emerges so I can take my supers away?  Heck I dont even have queen excluders, gunna have to order some.  Never needed excluders before!

Thoughts?

Sean Kelly
"My son,  eat  thou honey,  because it is good;  and the honeycomb,  which is sweet  to thy taste"          - Proverbs 24:13

Robo

#1
March 10, 2008, 10:08:59 AM
That is quite common for the queens to be up top in the Spring as it is the warmest spot,  especially if you use SBB.  I know with my heated hives, the queens move right down to the bottom over the lights to start their laying.

You could reverse the supers (put the mediums on the bottom)  and the queens will move up. 
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison


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Cindi

#2
March 10, 2008, 10:40:43 AM
Quote from: Robo on March 10, 2008, 10:08:59 AM
That is quite common for the queens to be up top in the Spring as it is the warmest spot,  especially if you use SBB.  I know with my heated hives, the queens move right down to the bottom over the lights to start their laying.

You could reverse the supers (put the mediums on the bottom)  and the queens will move up. 

Rob, see now that is one really good reason to have some lower heat in the boxes, the queen moves down, just where humans want her to start to lay eggs, reversing the chambers is a good advice for Sean.  Have a wonderful and beautifully great day, Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Sean Kelly

#3
March 10, 2008, 11:28:15 PM
I'll reverse the chambers tomorrow.  I thought about doing that but wasnt too keen on having all the bee traffic traveling across all that nice white comb.  Oh well, guess it'll darken now anyway since the queen moved in and started laying there.
Yes, I use SBB's.  Makes sense she would want to move up to the top.  The weather has been getting warmer the last few weeks.  I just hope she moves out soon and that brood emerges so I can pull those supers off.  Need to medicate and feed syrup and dont want honey supers on when I do so.

Sean Kelly
"My son,  eat  thou honey,  because it is good;  and the honeycomb,  which is sweet  to thy taste"          - Proverbs 24:13
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