Backfilling In September

[BugsInABox]

They are 3 days into a pretty strong flow - I’m assuming Ivy though the stuff in my garden still in bud and there are 2 or 3 pollen colours coming in.
But some of the brood best is getting back filled - especially towards the middle - on the edge there still seems to be plenty of room.

This is a TBH so I’ve added an empty comb between two brood combs - is that overkill, would I have been better leavign them alone?

 

[bobthecob]

I don't know about TBH's, but you aren't meant to divide a brood nest like that usually I think. At this time of year the brood nest should always be one continuous area, to help them cluster on it? If you want to give them an empty comb then I would put it on the edge of the brood area so they can use it for either stores or brood?

 

[beeno]

In making winter preps the bees sometimes prefer the brood nest to one side i.e. not always in the middle. This is one reason why I always put my fondant on the top bars over the whole surface area of the hive so that they have food directly over the brood nest, wherever the brood nest has ended up. They will move the nectar where they want the honey stores to end up in due course. How many frames of brood did you have?

 

[BugsInABox]

Thanks both. They have been reducing brood over the least 3 weeks, down to about 6 good combs of brood now. BIAS but defiantely backfilling. The combs on the edge of the brood are a mixture of capped honey and nectare/pollen but with space - so I didnt put the frame there. My reasoning was we'd space the brood nest in the spring to redcue swarm impulse associated with backfilling - but obviously spring is different and geenrally it's doen with an empty top bar ratehr than comb. My hope was the comb will be laid over the next week or so - thinking about it though I supose the alternate is that it just gets filled by the flow and forms a barrier between to sides fo a shrinking brood nest. And maybe backfillign in the Auumn just doesn't matter - I'm thinking that I was made anxious by talk eslewhere on the forum of Autumn swarms. -
Hmmm

 

[drex]

Sounds like the bees are doing what bees do at this time of year. Risky to split brood nest now

 

[fiat500bee]

Sounds like the bees are doing what bees do at this time of year. Risky to split brood nest now

..off topic..best avatar image I have seen....chilled out doggy.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thanks both. They have been reducing brood over the least 3 weeks, down to about 6 good combs of brood now. BIAS but defiantely backfilling. The combs on the edge of the brood are a mixture of capped honey and nectare/pollen but with space - so I didnt put the frame there. My reasoning was we'd space the brood nest in the spring to redcue swarm impulse associated with backfilling - but obviously spring is different and geenrally it's doen with an empty top bar ratehr than comb. My hope was the comb will be laid over the next week or so - thinking about it though I supose the alternate is that it just gets filled by the flow and forms a barrier between to sides fo a shrinking brood nest. And maybe backfillign in the Auumn just doesn't matter - I'm thinking that I was made anxious by talk eslewhere on the forum of Autumn swarms. -
Hmmm

If you are warm way the bees will preferentially but brood in the front nearest the entrance. If there are lots of bees still, putting a frame of foundation in the middle has been a good way for me in the past to get a fresh drawn comb full of eggs.

 

[BugsInABox]

Strong flow and loads of bees so fingers crossed.

 

[Ian123]

As mentioned above splitting the brood is often frowned upon but has worked well for me if done/judged right. Its a bloody good way of getting an extra frame of bees for the winter!!!! I’ll even do it with good sized nucs. If the feeds on or ivy flowering you’ll return next week to a drawn and laid up frame. You can also put half used frames up against the brood area and if you want to be safe ensure outer brood frames are sealed emerging bees. If I find the brood nest has moved to 1 side I’ll centre it up so the bees cover the front door. It’s quite common in spring to find them up against a nice warm wall.

 

[BugsInABox]