Forcing them to fill the super

[forrestcav]

I thought "usually" once there was honey surrounding the brood the queen doesn't usually move up into the supers. I agree with them filling if they have excess. When did you put your super on? When did the flow start? What's the weather been like? Hot and dry or cool and wet?
My now two plus year old (April 2011) double deep colony produced me three supers and began making bur comb between supers to fill with honey. My ladies are rock stars this year, but i didn't get a drop last year. They filled a super and when I went back to see if it was capped, they had moved it down to the brood box. Not what I wanted, but they did.

[Finski]

I thought "usually" once there was honey surrounding the brood the queen doesn't usually move up into the supers.

Bees tend to keep the brood area compact

I agree with them filling if they have excess. When did you put your super on? When did the flow start? What's the weather been like? Hot and dry or cool and wet?
My now two plus year old (April 2011) double deep colony produced me three supers and began making bur comb between supers

They usually make burr when the hive is full of honey. Very normal.

They filled a super and when I went back to see if it was capped, they had moved it down

The colony has been too small/ hive too cold. That is why they concentrated the store around brood.

[forrestcav]

nice to know my girls are normal all things being relative. But I don't try to convince them to do what I want and just let them be bees.

[Finski]

.
It sounds like you want to learn from others' experiences  :-X

[Brian D. Bray]

I do not use excluders except to combine hives or confine queens.
My hives are all medium deep supers and have 6, yes 6, brood boxes currently and 2 honey supers.  Large hives, they will now back fill two supers, making 4 to harvest, between now and labor day while also filling in much of the remaining four medium brood boxes I leave for winter.  Only four supers per hive this year due to splits earlier.
I've found that the more bees you have per hive the more honey they produce, of course abundant pastures helps. 

[Michael Bush]

Brian!  We have been worried about you.  Haven't heard from you in a LONG time.  It's great to hear from you now.  Your wisdom and wit have been missed!

[sc-bee]

Look who surfaced--- hello Brian :cheer:

[Brian D. Bray]

Been sick a lot the past 2 years--diabetes meds caused kidney problems so spent a lot of time redoing all my meds to get them back in balance.  Now doing Insulin.
Last fall my ram butted me while feeding sheep, I feel down and injured knee that had 3 previous surgeries so I had a total knee replacement.  He also injured my back--scheduled for back surgery next month.  Right now I can't walk 50 feet or stand for more than 2 minutes without getting severe back spasms.

I've been teaching beekeeping classes, mentoring students, teaching my younger brother and his daughter towards becoming sideliners, and writing a book on beekeeping.