50/50 split of brood and stores

[Frenchie]

In the summer I collected a small swarm and housed them in a Dadant hive in a friends garden. She had previously had bees which had disappeared and as I had plenty it seemed a good idea.I checked the bees last week and they have filled one side of the brood box with a 50/50 split of brood and stores on each frame.The other frames in the brood box were completely untouched as was the super. Brood pattern was very good and always on the lower half of the frames.Never seen this before.

 

[Finman]

In the summer I collected a small swarm and housed them in a Dadant hive in a friends garden. She had previously had bees which had disappeared and as I had plenty it seemed a good idea.I checked the bees last week and they have filled one side of the brood box with a 50/50 split of brood and stores on each frame.The other frames in the brood box were completely untouched as was the super. Brood pattern was very good and always on the lower half of the frames.Never seen this before.

Swarm starts always its nest from one side, and another side is empty when the swarm is small.

Join 4-5 kg swarm bees and you get the boxes filled, and that hive is able fill the super or two.


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[MartinL]

In the summer . . . other frames in the brood box were completely untouched as was the super. Brood pattern was very good and always on the lower half of the frames.Never seen this before.

We're still in "the summer" so take it you do mean this year?

I just think you were a little ambitious giving them all that space.
Are they oriented Cold way or warm way?
Perhaps remove the super and reduce the empty frames in the brood box with a poly board?

 

[Finman]

Are they oriented Cold way or warm way?
?

Surely cold, when they have 4 times that much room what they occupy.

And it takes 4 weeks, when the colony begin to get new workers. Swarm bees will be under half at that time.

If you give 2 capped brood frames, soon your box is full of bees.
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[Frenchie]

Thanks for your answers,will add some capped brood frames.