Bees ignoring the super.

[Silly Bee]

I have a WBC on a double brood, lots of bees in both, A super on the top, new foundation, and just a dozen or so bees walking about, doing nothing.


Any thoughts?

 

[Tdf]

I have a WBC on a double brood, lots of bees in both, A super on the top, new foundation, and just a dozen or so bees walking about, doing nothing.


Any thoughts?

if your weathers anything like here chances are they dont have anything to put into it

 

[iand]

When you get a decent nectar flow, they will eventually (when both brood boxes are topped up with honey) have a reason to use the box. Other than using it for exercise on wet days.

A number of hives at present are just going hand to mouth with their daily food. Brood rearing in some cases has been put on the back burner.
To draw foundation you need plenty of young bees/nectar coming in.
If there are a lot of bees & they are very hungry they may start eating brood, before the colony collapses.
Check for food, then hope for sunshine to get the job under way again.

 

[Silly Bee]

That was my thinking too, they have stores at present.

 

[Finman]

.
Hive is too cold or not enough bees. In cold weather they protect brood.
It tells that super makes things worse. The heat escapes to upstairs.
Its best place is under the brood. Bees can expand there if they need new room.




(Mesh floor and feeding hole open....surely moisture will kill your hive)

 

[Silly Bee]

Thanks Finman.

 

[Stickyfingers]

I have a WBC on a double brood, lots of bees in both, A super on the top, new foundation, and just a dozen or so bees walking about, doing nothing.


Any thoughts?

I had this a couple of weeks ago. Moved the QE above and within a week they had completely drawn all the foundation and most filled with honey. There was a few patches of brood but very small.

 

[oliver90owner]

Moved the QE above

Are you sure this was the single, one and only reason?

Are you sure it had nothing to do with the weather?

Are you sure there has been no change in any nectar flow?

Are you sure you did not close any gaping holes in the crownboard?

Are you sure they had not just moved honey from the brood box as they needed extra brooding space?

If I were sure on all the above, I might be checking that excluder carefully for dimensional accuracy.

 

[Heather]

May well be the weather, but if the colony is on the 2 outer brood frames there should be plenty to protect the brood. But if the foundation is new (undrawn) bees are reluctant to go through the QE to work.
Remove the QE for 1 week. This will give them time to work on the new foundation and the queen wont go up in that short time to lay- allegedly! Then when they have drawn some frames bang the QE back in. Just check no eggs up there before you do- but bet she wont be there yet.

 

[susbees]

I have a WBC on a double brood, lots of bees in both

Any thoughts?

But how many frames of brood?

 

[Poly Hive]

A very accurate question.

PH