A few of your thoughts please...

[RoseCottage]

We have removed 2 supers today from one of our colonies to enable the application of apiguard and feeding. Both removed supers were full of bees. Where will these masses go? Could we force the colony to swarm?
All the best,
Sam

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Not sure I understand this Sam.
Why didn't you clear the supers before removing them?

 

[VEG]

I think they mean will there be enough bees in the brood box when they are cleared from the super.

 

[greatbritishhoney]

I think they mean will there be enough bees in the brood box when they are cleared from the super.

Ahhh - the penny drops!
Sorry, it's been a long day.

I guess at this time of year the brood nest will be diminishing fairly rapidly and there should be enough room for all the bees. If you are worried why not put one of the supers back on and over-winter them as brood and a half?

 

[zubzub]

If it is just a matter of space how about q ex on bb then super of foundation and when brood has diminished for winter back to bb only,could this work?
new beek thinking about sitation perhaps experienced beek could give an answer as to wether this would work and if not why?

ZZ

 

[VEG]

Only problem with that is if the weather turns cold and the main cluster moves upstairs and leaves the queen behind below the QX.
Would be better without the QX.

 

[zubzub]

would they not stay with the brood?

ZZ

 

[VEG]

If it is warmer up stairs they can sometimes leave brood. Thats when you get chilled brood. You can get chilled brood when using brood box only on the outer frames.

 

[Andre cardona]

shore lee they will stay with the queen

 

[drstitson]

no - they go with the food/warmth. if queen can't follow she's history.

 

[VEG]

not always. As I said remove the Qx then they will be ok as the risk is removed.

 

[zubzub]

of course using foundation there will be no brood put into super and so no need for Qex I get it now lol I think.
Was thinking of protecting super from brood cocoons by using Qex.


ZZ

 

[VEG]

If they draw the foundation out you can bet the queen will lay there. Not a big problem.

 

[zubzub]

still the super frames that have been used for brood could then be used as part of IPM in bb for drone production maybe?

ZZ

 

[richardbees]

Rose

They do manage to find room as I've always wintered on a lone bb. I suggest you put a clearer board under the 2 supers then an empty super/ eke on top of the bb (leave QE on).

The empty super/eke gives them space to organise themselves......

rich

 

[RoseCottage]

Ok so I think my question was poorly phrased. Sorry.

What I meant was that we cleared 2 supers of the bees brushing them onto the BB. Then we removed the supers and frames they were using to store some uncapped honey and for general sitting space.

The volume of bees was very very high. Our BB is a 14*12 and we intend to try to overwinter the colony just on this alone. Last year we added a super of stores underneath and found the bees never touched it.

We removed the supers to avoid contamination to the frames as we will want to use them again next year for honey.

My question arose out of concern over cramped conditions in the BB after super removal.

Could this cause the colony to swarm this time of year?

All the best,
Thanks for all your thoughts so far,

Sam

 

[richardbees]

"concern over cramped conditions in the BB"...and this is a 14 x 12"?

Not likely - you don't work for Lambeth Council social services by any chance?

 

[Swarm]

I've mentioned this point myself, I have one colony that will never fit in a brood and half at this time of year. I have to remove their supers one at a time until October, by which time I can just about squeeze them into brood and half. Until end of August they have five supers on and are rammed to the rafters with bees. They still have three on and the bees already look very crowded.
Perhaps consider waiting a while longer before removing honey or do it in stages?

 

[greatbritishhoney]

You could also add another BB of course. Then you wouldn't risk any comtamination of super frames.
I think the risk of swarming is slim but......it would be pretty disastrous this time of year. Better to be safe than sorry.