Honey bound!

watercarving · May 19, 2008, 09:33:22 PM

Called my supplier. He said I should move a frame of brood over but mentioned that he has many hives that are honey bound. I looked in my weaker hive and it was full of bees. It was evening so I assume it was most of them back in. Not as many as the other hive but tons.

Problem was there is nectar in every cell. No where for the queen to lay. I still moved a brood frame over as the other hive had 3 frames with good brood on them. I am hoping this hive will use it to lay in.

Anything else I should try?

Kathyp · May 19, 2008, 09:38:59 PM

sometimes excess stores are a sign of queenlessness. you already believe that this hive is queenless? the brood you put into this hive should have been the youngest you could find. hopefully with some eggs. check it again in a few days and see if they are making queen cells. you might also swap out one of those frames of nectar and pollen for a draw out frame from the other hive, if there is one that is not full of 'stuff'.

that's about all i can think of. now, i think, you will just have to wait a few days and see what happens.

watercarving · May 19, 2008, 10:11:27 PM

Both hives were stuffed with honey and there were two queen cells in the weak hive. However, these are Russians and he said they build queen cells pretty regular. I may be ok. If not in a couple of weeks he still has pacakges and queens.

Moonshae · May 19, 2008, 10:25:12 PM

Add another hive body, move up two frames of brood and some of the honey frames. Replace them with foundation or drawn comb. If you're honey bound, you need more space.

watercarving · May 19, 2008, 10:41:02 PM

It's a TBH.

Brian D. Bray · May 19, 2008, 10:45:52 PM

Honey bound can also be a swarm warning. Bees will back fill brood area to force the queen into idleness, slimming her down, and providing enough stores for the swarming bees to take with them.

Michael Bush · May 19, 2008, 10:55:22 PM

If you have a queen and worker brood, lots of bees, but the brood nest is getting backfilled with nectar, I'd put an empty bar or two in the brood nest. Not next to each other, More like BEBBEB where B=Brood and E=Empty.

Moonshae · May 19, 2008, 10:58:15 PM

Quote from: watercarving on May 19, 2008, 10:41:02 PM
It's a TBH.

Ah, maybe add more bars between the brood area and the nectar area, to allow for more brood nest expansion? I don't know much about TBHs, but...if any hive is filling the brood nest with nectar, they probably need more room.

watercarving · May 19, 2008, 11:28:07 PM

I have added some bars in between the brood and honey areas. Just one on the ends and they have started building. Just seems the one hive is way slower at building comb than the other.

watercarving · May 20, 2008, 01:57:03 PM

I'm thinking about adding some plastic frames temporarily to give them some room to lay. Any thoughts?