Brood and a half - but which way up?

[Erichalfbee]

You have me confused Erica which is not hard to do.. lol , from what i have read over the past couple of years is you and several other members Nadir a super come autumn time after feeding, please explain a bit better as that is what i have done for the past two winters from your advice and others..

I nadir a shallow with unusable honey so that the bees take that honey up into the brood box. That way they are surrounded by stores for the winter. It's my bet that any honey underneath is removed in the first week and the shallow box is empty all winter.
I put the box under as soon as I have sorted the honey frames out so it actually goes under while I'm feeding.
What I was questioning was Amari's method of feeding with a super in place on top then putting it underneath. What the bees will do is put all the syrup you have offered into the super and hopefully cap it. They don't like honey stored below them so providing there is still room in the brood box if you put that super of capped stores underneath they will uncap it all and move it into the brood box. Which seems a real waste of effort.

 

[Finman]

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Basic idea is that when you give winter feeding, brood are down and store combs up. Winter cluster starts there where the last brood are.

Often if I had a langstroth box full of brood, I give extra medium up and I start feeding.

It makes no sense that you put a honey box under the brood. If honey box is half full food, why don't you continue feeding and bees fill the combs and then cap. Brood emerging takes its time and during that time you beed the hive.

And if colony continues brood rearing, it makes then down.

Actually it is not a big syn, in what order the boxes are, because they seems to in what ever.

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[Erichalfbee]

I put mine under because my bees live in a 14x12 box which is more than big enough for an overwintering colony and stores. I don't want that shallow of food on top. If you have BSNats then what you say makes sense. Leave it there and let the bees fill it with winter stores. My shallow goes underneath if it has honey in there that is not ready to extract. I find the bees move it up ...... hey presto

 

[Finman]

I put mine under because my bees live in a 14x12 box which is more than big enough for an overwintering colony and stores. I don't want that shallow of food on top. If you have BSNats then what you say makes sense. Leave it there and let the bees fill it with winter stores. My shallow goes underneath if it has honey in there that is not ready to extract. I find the bees move it up ...... hey presto

That I do not understand. First you have too big wintering space and then you add empty box more.

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[Erichalfbee]

That I do not understand. First you have too big wintering space and then you add empty box more.

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The bees don't use the box underneath.

 

[Finman]

The bees don't use the box underneath.

Underneath box is cold and moisture condensates into combs. Combs get mold and ferment there.... I know. Pollen...

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