Moving bees out of a super

Kris^ · October 24, 2006, 08:09:48 AM

I've been feeding the hives for a couple weeks now. One hive still had brood in a super so I left it there. Well, the brood emerged, and the bees filled the super with syrup. I put the super on top of an inner cover on top of the deeps. Do you think over the next few days they'll move the syrup down into the deeps? It's been getting cool at nights and they haven't moved down yet, although I just separated the super from the rest of the hive yesterday. How else could I get the bees -- and the syrup -- down into the deeps?

-- Kris

Robo · October 24, 2006, 09:54:35 AM

I get better results by putting an empty super between the inner cover and the one you want cleaned (gets it further away from the nest and they are less likely to see it as an extension of the nest, maybe?). Also scratching the cappings if it is capped also helps.

Kathyp · October 24, 2006, 05:18:06 PM

if i understand you, you are trying to get that super empty because you want to remove it for the winter?

i had the same problem and had no luck getting them to move feed down. i ended up removing the super and just feeding them to make sure the lower supers were full. the one i removed, i put in the freezer and it will be used in spring to feed and maybe to split my hive. i figured i could also feed back the honey frames during the winter if they get light.

Kris^ · October 24, 2006, 07:07:31 PM

As it turned out, not only did the old brood emerge -- new brood moved in! So to speak. This is my weird hive that had 3 queens that I separated into each box for a short while a few weeks ago. There's brood in each box now. So with brood in the super, they aren't gonna leave there. Or leave the brood in either of the deeps, either. I've given up on trying to force them to do what I want them to. So I put the super on the bottom and began feeding again. There are lots of bees in there, and more to come, apparently. Maybe by spring they'll all be near the top of one of the deeps and I can pull the super then. Sigh.

Kathyp · October 24, 2006, 07:20:15 PM

it's probably to late for this now, but i had brood in the box i needed to get off also. i smoked the queen down and put an excluder between that box and the lower ones. they hatched out the brood and then i moved them down. it was a process! but it worked.

Bill the Beekeeper · October 24, 2006, 10:08:50 PM

Bees do not move honey DOWN. They always will try and put the excess honey at the highest point in the hive. The only way to get them to move the honey down into the main hive bodies is to:

1. Remove the super (and brush off all the bees from the frames in the super) and close up the hive.

2. Take the super away from the beeyard, preferably to a closed building. ( You don't want bees around for this next step).

3. Use a hot knife and slice off the cappings (just like you do when extracting honey) and put frames back in the super.

4. Bring super back near the hive, but don't put back on top of hive. (I put super in a wheel barrel and leave it near the hive).

5. The bees will remove all of the honey from the super frames within a day and put it into the main hive body. And you'll have beautiful drawn comb to use for next spring.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

Brian D. Bray · October 25, 2006, 01:41:24 AM

Good advise Bill, BTW whenI saw your avatar I thought it was Bee Cee

Scadsobees · October 25, 2006, 02:19:37 PM

I did something similar to clear a super of honey. There was some capped comb in there.
I was amazed the way they chewed up the comb to get to the honey! There was quite a bit of fighting and dead bees when they were done.

I really wanted to target that honey back to that hive that needed it, but in the interest of time this worked.

With new brood you will either need to use the queen excluder and remove in a few weeks or just leave it over the winter.

Finsky · October 26, 2006, 01:29:55 AM

Quote from: Bill the BeekeeperBees do not move honey DOWN. They always will try and put the excess honey at the highest point in the hive. .

That is right

QuoteThe only way to get them to move the honey down into the main hive bodies is to:.

That is not necessary

Quote1. Remove the super (and brush off all the bees from the frames in the super) and close up the hive.

2. Take the super away from the beeyard, preferably to a closed building. ( You don't want bees around for this next step).

3. Use a hot knife and slice off the cappings (just like you do when extracting honey) and put frames back in the super.

4. Bring super back near the hive, but don't put back on top of hive. (I put super in a wheel barrel and leave it near the hive).

5. The bees will remove all of the honey from the super frames within a day and put it into the main hive body. And you'll have beautiful drawn comb to use for next spring.

Very strange !

To kill winter bee brood ????

If super's food is capped, let it be. Don't force bees do extra work.

I did this to my 30 hive this autumn. When I had in every hive one box full of brood I gived empty frame box over the brood box. Bees filled uppuer box. Then all brood emerged and winter food is in right position.

So you may continue you super feeding that brood emerge and let brood come out when it comes. So bees have capped food in upper box and they start to winter in the place of last brood. Later bees rise up and consume the food.

No problem. Bees have enough extra work in autumn.

.