Honey super question.

Mklangelo · July 01, 2007, 03:13:32 PM

I have three colonies of carnies and had a supercession in one but it's population is way up and lots of capped brood. I didn't inspect too extensively since I didn't want to disturb their rebound. But there is one thing. About two weeks ago they had recovered to the point where they had about 7 frames drawn out so I slapped another brood chamber on top. Well, they haven't drawn out the last 2 1/2 frames on the bottom but have started a chimney into the top chamber. I took the chimney frame from the top box and swapped it out with the closest undrawn frame on the bottom hoping to spur them into working that lower box. Is that a good idea? Or should I have simply removed the top box altogether?

As for the other two hives, they have plenty of brood and stores in both brood chambers and have had a honey super on for about three weeks. I dribbled some honey on one of the frames in the super to get them up there. All they did was eat the honey. There are always bees up in the supers and they do have both brood chambers drawn out. Is it just that they don't need the room yet? That there are still enough empty cells below for them to not feel the need to move up?

Thanks in advance!

Kathyp · July 01, 2007, 04:24:19 PM

that's pretty normal i think. mine were like that last year and seem to be doing the same this year. last year, when i fed to get them ready for winter, they pretty much filled it all up with honey before winter. they build the brood up through the middle and use the sides for stores.

n9kww · July 01, 2007, 07:42:36 PM

It sounds like a normal thing to me, if they need more room you will know it...
I would just keep your second hive body on it and let em go to it. When they have all but a frame drawn out, then I would add a honey super, not until then.
They will be a little back from the others but, they should make it providing you have a good summer up there.
let the bee's be bee's!!!

Mklangelo · July 01, 2007, 07:50:02 PM

Quote from: n9kww on July 01, 2007, 07:42:36 PM
It sounds like a normal thing to me, if they need more room you will know it...
I would just keep your second hive body on it and let em go to it. When they have all but a frame drawn out, then I would add a honey super, not until then.
They will be a little back from the others but, they should make it providing you have a good summer up there.
let the bee's be bee's!!!

The first few weeks after I installed em' I was in there quite often. Now I just let em' be. I peek in about every two weeks and I never separate the two hive bodies. If I see lots of brood and stores, I don't even mess with em'.

Thanks for the replies.

n9kww · July 01, 2007, 08:03:35 PM

Just be careful, this is the swarming season, if you don't check the brood chamber you could be in for a surpise..

Mklangelo · July 01, 2007, 11:08:51 PM

Quote from: n9kww on July 01, 2007, 08:03:35 PM
Just be careful, this is the swarming season, if you don't check the brood chamber you could be in for a surpise..

I know there is no danger of the weak colony swarming since they have plenty to do to catch up to their neighbors. Lots of undrawn foundation in the upper box and a bit in the lower one.

Now as for the other two hives, they have two deeps completely drawn out and a completely undrawn super on each. What can I do to insure they don't swarm short of making a three box brood chamber?

Brian D. Bray · July 03, 2007, 10:42:39 PM

A 3 box brood chamber is a good choice. Other than that, this time of year, the best thing to do is pull the stores frames on the edges of the brood chamber(s) and keep them drawing comb in the brood chamber. As long as they need to build comb in, or at least near, the brood chamber they shouldn't swarm. At the same time the bees need to have enough space so they don't get overcrowded so supering at the 80% full mode is still necessary.

The idea of pulling the stores frames lets the queen expand the brood chamber into the new comb area if she chooses. Widening the brood chamber is just as good as making it taller.

Mklangelo · July 04, 2007, 10:44:49 AM

Quote from: Brian D. Bray on July 03, 2007, 10:42:39 PM
A 3 box brood chamber is a good choice. Other than that, this time of year, the best thing to do is pull the stores frames on the edges of the brood chamber(s) and keep them drawing comb in the brood chamber. As long as they need to build comb in, or at least near, the brood chamber they shouldn't swarm. At the same time the bees need to have enough space so they don't get overcrowded so supering at the 80% full mode is still necessary.

The idea of pulling the stores frames lets the queen expand the brood chamber into the new comb area if she chooses. Widening the brood chamber is just as good as making it taller.

Right now that sounds like the most efficient way to do it. So then when winter is approaching, what should I do with the frames of honey? Just store them for next spring? One of two scenarios will play out, either she makes more brood and I certainly wouldn't remove that or they just replace their stores. Either way, I leave things like they are. Of course on the odd chance they don't do anything with the frames, I can drop in the stores.

Brian D. Bray · July 05, 2007, 11:14:16 PM

Freezing the frames is one option. If all of your equipment is the same size on that hive you can consolidate the brood frames down into the bottom 2 boxes in the fall and harvest the rest. They bees will backfill the brood area with stores going into winter. Come Oct 1 you should only have about 3 frames of brood in each of the 2 boxes. By Nov 1 that should be down to about 1 frame of brood per box. December there shouldn't be any brood. With about 1/4 the stores used. By February 1 you should be back up to a brood nest consistant with October. February is when the puddy tat willows begin to bloom so the pollen availability should stimulate hive growth.