Boxes after Sulphur treatment

[aberreef]

I treated all my empty super and brood boxes with sulphur strips this winter. I aired them out well before putting them back on the hives but the bees don't seem to be putting anything in them.

My hives have all been Demaree'd and the bees are merrily filling the top box but completely ignoring the super boxes, seeming to just walk straight up through the combs. My main honey flow hasn't started yet but there's still quite a bit of nectar coming in, all the super comb is bone dry though.

In previous years, when I haven't treated, the bees have used all available space to some extent so now I'm thinking there's something wrong with the comb.

Please tell me I'm fretting over nothing

 

[itma]

I think the bees will normally store their honey as high as they can … what's with Demaree-ing all the hives?

 

[MJBee]

I think your final sentence is correct - I have used sulphur strips for years and have had no problems.

You could try refreshing the wax by warming (gently) with a hair drier of spray with honey water

Is the top box Queenright? If it isn't the bees will treat it a a big super until there is a laying queen.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

My hives have all been Demaree'd and the bees are merrily filling the top box

............and when they've filled the top box they'll merrily start filling the shallows below - that's what bees do, forget all the nonsense about playing a hairdryer over the comb.You're fretting over nothing
I presume the boxes you sulphured had drawn comb from last year? if so, why not just store them wet - much less hassle.

 

[aberreef]

Thanks guys :-D The bees have got me on edge this year, they are behaving way differently to previous years lol

Thw top boxes are q- so they are big supers atm. I've never had the two super boxes totally empty before though. I stored some boxes wet last year but didn't like the mess they made, some fermented and dripped all over the place (I probably did something wrong?)