14x12 super mistake

[bellsbees]

I think I made a big mistake. I left my 14x12 hives with 1 and a half supers of stores for winter. I am always so worried my bees will starve. Fairly good size colonies.
Is a 14x12 brood box big enough to over winter bees and food?
Should I have left any supers on?
Supers are now granulated so I scraped of cappings, I think these supers are a mix of sugar and honey, how can I encourage the bees to use this up?
If I put a super of stores under brood box (between the floor and brood box) would the bees use the stores or move the stores?
Advice please. Thanks.

 

[Erichalfbee]

A fed....either by beekeeper or by bees themselves.... 14 x 12 has enough stores without supers.
I nadir shallows in the autumn if there is uncapped honey. The bees move this up into the brood box and the shallow is empty in the spring.
Where are the supers you left?
You say you checked them...recently?
Are there store frames in the brood box?
More info needed.

Just seen you have 20 hives....what did you do last year?

 

[bellsbees]

Some bees starved last year, which really upset me, cos it was totally my fault, so I went a bit crazy this time.
Brood boxes have 4 frames stores in brood boxes, 4 frames brood, at least 6 frames of bees, possible 8 frames of bees. (Inspected 9th march)
Supers still on hives.

 

[bellsbees]

Super are above brood box.

 

[itma]

14x12 holds plenty for the winter. You should make sure it is there though.

The bees wouldn't move honey/stores 'down' unless they think they are robbing it. You could set up a robbing situation by putting those supers above a coverboard with a smallish hole - so it seems to the bees to be 'outside'.


BUT - you have 4 14x12 frames well-filled with stores already!
You really don't want more stashed away in the brood box ...


You have rushed in and uncapped the supers. I expect/hope the bees will just recap them.
Then you can store them away for a while. (A trip through the freezer would kill any wax moth.) You could use those stores for autumn feeding - box under the brood box. Or should you need to feed a swarm or nuc before that.



With the full supers off the hive, you need to make sure that Q has plenty laying space - so I'd be thinking in terms of uncapping the brood-frame stores that was on the comb faces next to the brood nest. "Indicate" to the bees which bit of stores you think they ought to be eating next. Not too much at a time!

With plenty stores in the brood box (and not a lot of space) I'd be tempted to super early, with a box full of foundation. The hope being that they would munch through the stores to draw the new wax, while also making room for more brood in the brood box.

Even a wooden 14x12 has plenty of capacity for winter stores. They don't need more than that!

 

[bellsbees]

14x12 holds plenty for the winter. You should make sure it is there though.

The bees wouldn't move honey/stores 'down' unless they think they are robbing it. You could set up a robbing situation by putting those supers above a coverboard with a smallish hole - so it seems to the bees to be 'outside'.


BUT - you have 4 14x12 frames well-filled with stores already!
You really don't want more stashed away in the brood box ...


You have rushed in and uncapped the supers. I expect/hope the bees will just recap them.
Then you can store them away for a while. (A trip through the freezer would kill any wax moth.) You could use those stores for autumn feeding - box under the brood box. Or should you need to feed a swarm or nuc before that.



With the full supers off the hive, you need to make sure that Q has plenty laying space - so I'd be thinking in terms of uncapping the brood-frame stores that was on the comb faces next to the brood nest. "Indicate" to the bees which bit of stores you think they ought to be eating next. Not too much at a time!

With plenty stores in the brood box (and not a lot of space) I'd be tempted to super early, with a box full of foundation. The hope being that they would munch through the stores to draw the new wax, while also making room for more brood in the brood box.

Even a wooden 14x12 has plenty of capacity for winter stores. They don't need more than that!

That's just what I needed to hear, I will remove stores of supers tomorrow and put on supers with foundation. Thank you for the advice really appreciated.

 

[curry756]

That's just what I needed to hear, I will remove stores of supers tomorrow and put on supers with foundation. Thank you for the advice really appreciated.

Might be a bit early for supers - remember they need to keep the hive warm, and the more inside space the harder it is to heat.

 

[drstitson]

a full 14x12 is plenty. it's equivalent to roughly brood and a half.

 

[Ely]

When spring arrives I usually have to remove frames of Ivy honey left over from winter. A 14 x 12 is more than big enough for overwintering

 

[bellsbees]

When spring arrives I usually have to remove frames of Ivy honey left over from winter. A 14 x 12 is more than big enough for overwintering

What do you do with the ivy honey? Can't the bees use ivy honey?

 

[Ely]

Sorry I should have been clearer. My bees fill up the brood box and feed on Ivy honey exclusivly as there is a lot of woodland around here. They just store so much of it that I have to remove a couple of frames in spring to give them room for brooding. I usually put them back when they are low on stores.

 

[Nige.Coll]

That's just what I needed to hear, I will remove stores of supers tomorrow and put on supers with foundation. Thank you for the advice really appreciated.

don't forget drawing out foundation will make them use stores very quickly.

 

[itma]

The bees LOVE Ivy honey. But having access to plenty water helps them access crystallised stores.

Should any frames be removed now, they can be used for making up nucleus colonies, or stored right through until next autumn before being given back to the bees.
But removing excess full frames isn't normally necessary.


Some people particularly like Ivy honey - but for them you must extract it in Autumn, before it sets in the comb.

 

[jd101k2000]

I'm in a similar position to the OP... so can I add my thanks for the useful suggestions. I think one of the colonies has the best part of 20lb of ivy honey in a super! (They did go mad for it in the autumn.)

 

[Ely]

Some people particularly like Ivy honey -

Yes I am thinking about sticking a super on this year. I know a few people who like it.