Brood or Honey?

[Steel Tiger]

 I added a 3rd box to one of the hives today. I did an inspection a few days ago and the frames in the top box were all nearly drawn. I decided to move 3 of the drawn frames to the new box and replace them with empties. All the frames has capped honey. This particular frame, which was an end frame, has small dark pattern on the bottom. Is it honey or a small patch of brood?

[asprince]

Does not look like brood or honey. Looks like pollen to me.


Steve

[blanc]

Looks like capped honey to me and I usually cut off anything sticking out of the frame on the sides like that and bottoms to clean it up a bit or could cause you problems down the road.
Blanc

[HomeSteadDreamer]

I agree looks like capped honey with pollen at the bottom.

[Jackam]

I hope you don't mind me taking this off topic a bit but looking at your pictures (GREAT!!!) has me wondering.

I live in Michigan where the Winters are cold and long. I've been told to start with a deep super and then add a deep when that is almost full. Then the shallow super can go on when both deep supers are 70% or better.

As I understand it, the two deeps are for brood and the bee's storage for Winter. I have been told not to expect honey for my first year as the package will need everything that they can bring in for their colony. Some bee guys that I talked to say MAYBE I'll get honey this year (but I am not expecting it!)

My question stems from seeing your pictures. Your hives are in a climate similar to mine. Yet I see a shallow on top. Is this for honey collection or is this for the bees? Is the third one that you just added for you? How many supers will they winter in?

I thought I had a good idea about this whole procedure until I saw your pics! Just when you think you know what you're doing, you find out that you don't! :)

[Steel Tiger]

I hope you don't mind me taking this off topic a bit but looking at your pictures (GREAT!!!) has me wondering.

I live in Michigan where the Winters are cold and long. I've been told to start with a deep super and then add a deep when that is almost full. Then the shallow super can go on when both deep supers are 70% or better.

As I understand it, the two deeps are for brood and the bee's storage for Winter. I have been told not to expect honey for my first year as the package will need everything that they can bring in for their colony. Some bee guys that I talked to say MAYBE I'll get honey this year (but I am not expecting it!)

My question stems from seeing your pictures. Your hives are in a climate similar to mine. Yet I see a shallow on top. Is this for honey collection or is this for the bees? Is the third one that you just added for you? How many supers will they winter in?

I thought I had a good idea about this whole procedure until I saw your pics! Just when you think you know what you're doing, you find out that you don't! :)

The plan was to go with all mediums. After several changes of plans on how I would get my bees, I went with nucs, which used deep size frames. I can up with a few plans on how to get them from deep frames to medium frames and settled in on just allowing them to build from a single deep in to mediums. Next year, when they're in the top box, I'll remove the deep. Right now I'm hoping the bees build enough to be using the deep and 2 mediums for brood and they'll get more mediums for their honey stores.
Both hives were installed at the same time. The one closest to the camera is really taking off. The other is about where I would expect a package of bees to be. As of right now, I'm expecting the stronger hive to have plenty of excess honey. If so, I'll more than likely freeze the frames and save them in case of an emergency. At the rate they're going, they'll have a 4th box before the other have has a 3rd one added.
I'll give the other hive until next month to start expanding and then decide whether to replace to queen or not. I know she's laying, but the pattern isn't as solid as I would like to see.

[Steel Tiger]

Does not look like brood or honey. Looks like pollen to me.


Steve

The color of the cappings are the same color of the capped brood in the box below it. I wanted to get someone's opinion before I scraped it off.

[Steel Tiger]

Looks like capped honey to me and I usually cut off anything sticking out of the frame on the sides like that and bottoms to clean it up a bit or could cause you problems down the road.
Blanc

I've been keeping the sides clean, this is the first time I've had anything capped though. I've been leaving them some comb on the bottom of the frames. I figure it gives them easier access to have a ladder.
I'll clean off that side when I go in next week.

[sterling]

Looks like capped honey to me and I usually cut off anything sticking out of the frame on the sides like that and bottoms to clean it up a bit or could cause you problems down the road.
Blanc

I've been keeping the sides clean, this is the first time I've had anything capped though. I've been leaving them some comb on the bottom of the frames. I figure it gives them easier access to have a ladder.
I'll clean off that side when I go in next week.

It looks like capped honey to me and reason it is dark is because they are using it for a ladder. So doing as you want.

[S.Rummings]

I think you have your answer about the pollen but...

Your hives look great! I wish I didn't paint mine. I am staining my next boxes for sure. I was just too lazy with smearing glue around to stain.

8-)

[Steel Tiger]

Your hives look great! I wish I didn't paint mine. I am staining my next boxes for sure. I was just too lazy with smearing glue around to stain.

8-)

Thanks. I went with a semitransparent, waterproof stain. My hope is that it's light enough too not heat up very high during the summer yet dark enough for solar heating during the winter.

[S.Rummings]

My hope is that it's light enough too not heat up very high during the summer yet dark enough for solar heating during the winter.

I had exactly the same thought.