1st winter - advice please!

[tonka]

I got myself sorted this year with a 14x12 national hive, but had to get a standard sized nuc due to a lack of available 14x12 nucs. Naturally the bees built wild comb on the bottom of the shallower frames and didn't pay much attention to the 14x12 foundation frames to either side. Eventually this became really annoying as every time i wanted to lift a frame, it was stuck to its neighbouring frame and large chunks of brood and bees would often drop to the floor (not practical and infuriating for the bees)

So i left the queen on one of the nuc frames in the middle of the broodbox, and surrounded it with the frames of foundation, and put the remaining 4 nuc frames in a brood box above the original (with queen excluder) with the idea that once all the brood has hatched i can just remove those frames and feed the bees the honey that was left in the frames.

The brood in the nuc frames above the queen excluder has now hatched, but looking into the box below (that the bees should be overwintering in), there are plenty of bees but only 2-3 frames of brood and very little stored honey and still a lot of undrawn foundation. It's september now and i'm worried that i've basically reduced the queens laying space for the last 3 weeks so the colony will be low on young bees for overwintering, and also i've left them with very little honey stores.

options:

1: I completely abandon this plan to remove the messy nuc frames, put them all back down in the main brood box and do it again in the spring?

2: Put one or 2 of the frames with most honey back, and feed feed feed.

3: I'm worrying too much, if i feed them they'll still draw enough comb and store enough to last the winter.

4: some other advice i've not thought of...

thank you - advice greatly appreciated.

will

 

[Tom Bick]

Personally I think you want to abandon the plan and replace the nuc frames in the lower bb for over wintering.

I don’t know the size of your colony but doubt it will draw any wax foundation at this time of year, a large strong colony perhaps yes but a small or smallish one without the right conditions no.

It will also be best to dummy down the hive or even fit division boards to retain heat. If you can get some of the foil covered insulation and cover the sides with tape then this will be good for the bees, also a piece over the crown board will help keep them warm.

If you put the hive back together and insulate I don’t think its to late you will still get a good bit of brood into the hive to over winter, London has a warm climate and sometimes very warm depending on location.

Are you treating at the moment for varroa?

If you are stuck I am based in Middlesex Hounslow and if you are reasonably close can pop round to give you a bit of a hand.

 

[drstitson]

another thing you could do whilst playing with insulation is to put a suitably sized piece (gaffer wrapped) UNDER the offending frames.

 

[tonka]

thanks to the both of you. have taken your advice and put it all back so they can sleep soundly for the winter. cheers