adding super

[VEG]

Started this as didnt want to offtrack the other super thread.

Ok i didnt get round to putting my supers on last year although i did fit the foundation to the frames these have been safely stored in the supers. Is there anything i need to do to these before giving to the bees. Does foundation go stale? will it be ok to use? Any tricks so the bees accept them quicker?

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Try adding it first off with out the queen excluder.

 

[Poly Hive]

yes Veg.

Wax does go stale and yours may well not be that fresh so....

Use a hair dryer on it to restore the smell. Old but very efficacious trick.

PH

 

[VEG]

Its been a while since I used a hair drier lol. Will give it a try. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Poly Hive]

As for when to add it, roughly on 8 frames of brood and the frames covered in bees when you lift the crown board.

PH

 

[Finman]

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I don't care about foundation's greyness. Bees will build everey foundation even if they are 5 years old.

Question is about a right moment to give them: when they are ready to draw. I don't force them or even hope that they are quicker.

 

[Normandie]

Can one add a super too early? We've had sunny but chilly days and we haven't been able to look at the bees for about 2 weeks. There is a lot of activity with pollen going in and honey being made; 2 weeks ago there were eggs, brood and capped cells spread over 6, maybe 7 frames. It's a Dadant hive so there are a further 6 frames.

We're slightly worried that if things are going well but the days aren't warm enough to risk a good look to establish progress and whether a super is needed, we may be late adding one.

There's no good, warm weather forecast for at least the next 10 days so we're in a quandary as to whether to risk a too early addition of a super... or not...

Any thoughts, anyone?

 

[Finman]

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Bees need new space even if honey is not coming in. Otherwise they start to swarm.
Put the next box under the brood box, so it does not harm much the brood temperature maintenance.