Those darn bees

[PeeVee]

Week of 7 Sep 2009
  Reading a lot about the end of season and forcing the bees down from any supers and into the brood deeps. The Goldenrod is not likely to last forever here and I really can't count on the forcast to determine when the killing frost will happen.

Friday 11 Sep 2009
  Built a bee escape board - combination of Vortex and square as on http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/vortexescape.html

Monday 14 Sep 2009
  Placed bee escape board under 2 medium supers and above the two deeps at about 1300 hours.

Tuesday 15 Sep 2009
  Unfortunately was unable to check on the progress until 1700 hours.
  Almost all bees had moved down.  About a dozen drones were hiding under the cover - had witnessed drones being escorted from the hive a couple days ago.
  Top super had been fully drawn and 90% uncapped honey
  Super just above escape board all capped honey except for one frame with 3" by 4" capped brood.
  Lifted escape board - what the heck?! - bees had drawn new comb from top of brood hive frames in the space under the escape board intended to aid in their exodus.
 
  Scraped off the new comb.
  Set a new medium super w/foundation (just to give them something to do)
  Replaced the super with uncapped frames, to board and cover.
  Stuck all capped frames in the freezer.

  Will check again in a few days weather depending. Long term forcast still not showing frost.

So, looks like the bee escape works. I guess I just need to plan for a day when I can check back in a hour or so.

-Paul

[alflyguy]

Are you useing the escape board to clear bees for harvest? If it works I think it would be much less invasive than most methods.

[PeeVee]

Using the board for harvest was the ultimate idea as well as forcing the bees down to the deeps for the end of season.

I decided that if they would cap the frames on the one super, I would be better off retaining that super on the hive and hope for the best. The temperature is wildly fluctuating now and I'm hoping for no killing frost for at last a week.

If, when I pull that super, I find a need to feed, so be it.

But the next time I try the escape board, I'm definately going to check within an hour or so of the addition.

While I had the supers off, all I could see (looking down in) in the top deep was capped honey.

-Paul

[Scadsobees]

It depends on your area of course, but I'd recommend leaving off any supers after your last harvest.  In my experience, the bees work up, and while it is unlikely that they will do much in that upper super, if they do, they won't get anything complete before the frost.  Then you'll have a super that you don't know what to do with...do you leave a partial without much food in it if they get up there, or do you pull stores that they will probably need.

On the other hand, even if they don't have enough room they will pack the honey down below and wherever they can, and it is likely that there is plenty of room yet in that bottom deep.

I pulled my supers in August and left a rim on for the treatments I was doing, and they almost immediately started filling that area up with comb.  Three weeks later and they hadn't drawn any more than what they started in the first week.

Rick

[PeeVee]

Thanks for the reply Rick. I'm hoping they finish capping the one super so I can pull it off. Everything comes off then (I'm hoping Saturday). I was unprepared mentally for the tremendous population I found.

A great sharing of knowledge on the fact that they quit building the extra comb. Thanks again.

-Paul