brood and half

[beepig]

i need advice here please.
one of my colonies is a brood and a half. The half being a super. The queen excluder, just to clarify, is above the super.
I have a full super of honey as well and another super under that which is new and awaiting drawing.
My dillema is........
1. the super that is the half, does not seem to contain much if any, brood or eggs. however, it is almost full of honey, which my bees are not capping off or moving upstairs to the new super provided.
2. What are my options here please.

 

[Dishmop]

i need advice here please.
one of my colonies is a brood and a half. The half being a super. The queen excluder, just to clarify, is above the super.
I have a full super of honey as well and another super under that which is new and awaiting drawing.
My dillema is........
1. the super that is the half, does not seem to contain much if any, brood or eggs. however, it is almost full of honey, which my bees are not capping off or moving upstairs to the new super provided.
2. What are my options here please.

Why would the bees move the honey from the super (half brood box) up to another super.
Am I right in thinking that from the ground up you have.
1. Brood box
2. A super box (half brood)
3. Queen excluder.
4. An empty super.
5. A full super.

 

[Swarm]

Why would the bees move the honey from the super (half brood box) up to another super.
Am I right in thinking that from the ground up you have.
1. Brood box
2. A super box (half brood)
3. Queen excluder.
4. An empty super.
5. A full super.

That's what it sounds like to me, too. In which case, the bees are doing what comes naturally and backfilling with honey. If you'd prefer them to move it above the excluder, put it beneath the deep or put it above the excluder, making sure queenie stays below

 

[beepig]

Why would the bees move the honey from the super (half brood box) up to another super.
Am I right in thinking that from the ground up you have.
1. Brood box
2. A super box (half brood)
3. Queen excluder.
4. An empty super.
5. A full super.

that is correct yes

 

[beepig]

Ok fair enough. but why if a brood and a half are they using the super i gave them as a brood box are they filling it with honey. is this just a sign that they are down sizing the hive in rediness for winter. it seems a trifle early if that is the case.
and why put the super below the main brood box? what does this achieve?

 

[Finman]

Douplr....

 

[Dishmop]

Unfortunately your ideas of having a brood and a half is not what the bees had in mind.
If the super (half) which is above the brood box has very little (if any) brood, I would be inclined to move the QX down so its under this box..
Perhaps there is not as much brood in the brood box as you think and therefore they dont need the half box for brood.
As far as the full super and the empty super is concerned I believe some beeks will put some full frames with the empty ones to explain to the bees what you have put it there for.

To me it looks as if the bees have done everything by book. Brood downstairs and food upstairs.

Finman answered while I was writing but it looks as if we are saying the same thing....

 

[Finman]

.
Bees will not move the honey. And moving makes no sense.

It is easier that you collect full frames up over the excluder.

Check too, how much brood box has honey frames what you can extract. So you get laying space to the main brood box.

When half brood is full of honey, I believe that brood frames are jammed too with honey. You should arrange laying space that queen can lay good winter brood....but it is July still. Hive may still swarm if it is too full.

 

[Finman]

.
It seems to me that colony is quite small and it has done what it has done.
2 box colony actually. It is not able to draw more foundations. Brood amount may be small or hive has swarmed.

 

[beepig]

ok.
so i should move full super frames if no brood in above. ~Will they then cap it?
Your saying i should remove any full brood frames of honey above queen excluder?
That would mean putting an empty brood box there then to accomodate said full brood frames, yes?
The brood box is quite full of honey. and it is a big colony, and they are foraging bonkers still
I removed a frame with eggs recently to put into a queenless colony and replaced with a new frame of foundation

 

[Dishmop]

The brood box is quite full of honey. and it is a big colony,

If BB is quite full of honey.I wouldnt have thought that the colony is that big on the grounds that the queen may not have enough space to lay.

Why not take the boxes full of honey, (or selected frames) out and extract or store them.

 

[Finman]

ok.

The brood box is quite full of honey. and it is a big colony, and they are foraging bonkers still

I removed a frame with eggs recently to put into a queenless colony and replaced with a new frame of foundation

First, buy a laying queen to your queenless hive. Do not rear a new queen. It takes too long time.

Second...give to the hive brood size foundations. Move the over half filled honey frames over excluder. Then under excluder brood frames and foundations
With that consept bees capp the full super. Then they fill more with honey the brood frames and brood will emerge from frames.

That is what I do in my hives. I do not use excluders.
And you get new brood combs for next summer.
.

 

[beepig]

Thanks for the info boils and germs, good advice. Will go in tomorrow and carry out said tasks. ALl except buy a queen. Cant afford that. Heres hoping plan works. Two smaller colonies not doing so well this year, shame but heres hoping theyll pick up next year

 

[drstitson]

why not just move the box up above the QE.
just make sure HM stays downstairs.

 

[Finman]

If you have 2 small colonies, you could join queenless and a weak colony
Or take a queen to the queenless and join then weak colonies.