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New Bee
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2018
- Messages
- 28
- Reaction score
- 20
- Location
- Leamington Spa
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 2
Hi. I am in my second season of beekeeping. I have found this year much more difficult and have had a lot of problems which I won't go into detail about now. My hived swarm was building up really quickly and my mentor advised me to add a super as brood and a half to give them more room. I was planning to put a QE between the brood and the "half" once numbers have started reducing and get my bees back in the brood box only for the winter as I have found manipulations more tricky with the bees on brood and a half. However, I found a guide by Wally Shaw which indicates the bees overwinter better on brood and a half as this is more akin to the way feral bees cluster and they are able to regulate the temperature more easily with the cluster being longer and thinner. I couldn't help thinking that maybe feral bees don't have much choice about this as if they have colonized a tree trunk, the shape doesn't give them any other option given that trees generally are taller than they are wide.
I know I will probably get differing opinions. A beekeeper once told me that if you ask 2 beekeepers the same question you will get at least 3 different answers! I just want to do what is best for my bees but also need to bear in mind my beekeeping capabilities - or lack of them - gong into next year.
I know I will probably get differing opinions. A beekeeper once told me that if you ask 2 beekeepers the same question you will get at least 3 different answers! I just want to do what is best for my bees but also need to bear in mind my beekeeping capabilities - or lack of them - gong into next year.