I can't figure these bees out!!! UGH!

[c10250]

OK, I'm running two deeps for brood, an upper entrance, and two deeps for supers (I have a lower entrance as well). DDEDD.

I STILL HAVE A SMALL PATCH OF BROOD IN MY UPPER DEEP!! Strangely, there doesn't seem to be any brood in the first super, just the top super. Ugh. I was all ready to pull some honey this weekend.

This hive is BOOMING!! They built all kinds of bridge comb between the boxes on each side of the upper entrance. The hive was solid comb from the top deep all the way down.

I couldn't imagine finding the queen. I just cleaned up the unwanted comb, and slapped a queen excluder between the lower and upper deeps. Hopefully she's below the excluder.

Any suggestions? Frustrating!!!!


Ken

[indypartridge]

...and slapped a queen excluder between the lower and upper deeps... Hopefully she's below the excluder.

Well, one way or another you'll narrow down where she is!

I've had queens that don't "follow the rules" and wander all over (I don't use excluders). I've found brood in an uppermost honey super where she had to cross two honey-filled supers to get there. It's annoying, but no big deal. Since I only have a few hives, when I'm pulling honey I glance at the frames, and any frames that have brood or are just partially filled I leave on the hive.

[Robo]

Since your running all deeps, this sounds like the best plan.  If if you get the queen out of there, you could be up to a month waiting for the brood to hatch.

when I'm pulling honey I glance at the frames, and any frames that have brood or are just partially filled I leave on the hive.