beginner-needs help

lrushton · February 16, 2009, 09:31:03 PM

i just started with my first 2 hives last year(package bee's). i just did my first inspection of the year as it was warm enough here in S.C. i found my 2nd hive top hive body to be at least 7 frames full of nothing but honey. my question is what should i do and when. i hate to lose all this honey but at the same time i want the queen to have somewhere to lay. remember i am a beginner. thanks for any and all suggestions.

Michael Bush · February 16, 2009, 09:41:28 PM

They will burn up that honey in no time rearing brood. It takes a frame of honey and a frame of pollen to raise a frame of brood.

IABeeMan · February 16, 2009, 09:46:23 PM

Put the lid back on and relax. There are alot of beekeepers that would love to see 7 frames of honey. In a week or few (depending on what is about to bloom) those frames will be full of brood. To me it sounds like you have made it through winter pretty nicely.

lrushton · February 16, 2009, 10:37:25 PM

thank you both for your help. i didn't know whether to try and extract some to make room or add shallow super or what. thanks again

NWIN Beekeeper · February 21, 2009, 05:16:38 AM

This was a very tactfull attempt to brag - 8-)
why don't you post some pictures to rub our noses in it while you are at it? :-D

Sounds like you will be starting in a very good way.
I would watch to make sure that the bees are not impared by the honey as they expand.
You may need to add frames and shuffle honey full frames to the walls to have good laying space.
I am saying not to expect or assume the bees will do what you want, else they most certainly will not.

Congrats!

Understudy · February 21, 2009, 11:44:40 AM

It ain't broke don't fix it. Your bees know what they are doing and it sounds like they are doing it well.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

lrushton · February 22, 2009, 02:37:45 PM

thanks a lot guys for buzzing in guys. i went on and took 2 frames of honey and added it to a hive body and put it on my 1st hive. this 1st hive would never come up for some reason. i had it about 3 weeks before i started 2nd package. both of them seemed to progress about the same but when i got ready to put on 2nd body the 1st just would not come up. now in the 1st i used crimped wire in bottom and didn't know if it made a difference or not and went to plasti-cell in the second body. it looks like it did make a difference. hopefully now with the food upstairs they'll come on up. also now the 2nd hive queen has a place to lay without question. hopefully i haven't messed up.

Brian D. Bray · February 22, 2009, 09:40:17 PM

Quote from: lrushton on February 22, 2009, 02:37:45 PM
thanks a lot guys for buzzing in guys. i went on and took 2 frames of honey and added it to a hive body and put it on my 1st hive. this 1st hive would never come up for some reason. i had it about 3 weeks before i started 2nd package. both of them seemed to progress about the same but when i got ready to put on 2nd body the 1st just would not come up. now in the 1st i used crimped wire in bottom and didn't know if it made a difference or not and went to plasti-cell in the second body. it looks like it did make a difference. hopefully now with the food upstairs they'll come on up. also now the 2nd hive queen has a place to lay without question. hopefully i haven't messed up.

Changing frames or foundation types within the hive can confuse the bees and make them less inclined to move onto the added space. One way of doing it is the spray the new stock with sugar syrup to the bees wil consume it and get a taste of the new medium. Also pull some frames for below and put above in the new box, mxing the stock which forces the bees to at least work the new stock in the original hive body, they will then do the same in the new hive body,