Brood boxes filling up

[Do224]

I took my supers off a couple of weeks ago and noticed the brood boxes were almost empty of stores (some frames completely dry and ignored by the bees) so fed each hive about 3 litres of invert. Went back in earlier this week and found lots of wet stores throughout the bb. The bees have since been foraging hard all week. Should I be concerned about laying space or just leave them to it?



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[The Poot]

I’d leave them to it.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I’d leave them to it.

there comes a time to stop fiddling, I see people already talking about waiting for bees to fill supers and plan another extraction - whatever we believe, there's not that much coming in and it will quickly get tucked away around the brood for winter stores, and anyway, the forecast from Monday is promising a return to more seasonal temperatures/weather.
Time to get the bees winter ready methinks.

 

[enrico]

there comes a time to stop fiddling, I see people already talking about waiting for bees to fill supers and plan another extraction - whatever we believe, there's not that much coming in and it will quickly get tucked away around the brood for winter stores, and anyway, the forecast from Monday is promising a return to more seasonal temperatures/weather.
Time to get the bees winter ready methinks.

At last I agree..... after all it IS AUTUMN

 

[Swarm]

At last I agree..... after all it IS AUTUMN

Still Summer until the equinox

 

[Macbear]

Removed Apiguard, yesterday and hoped to cut down the number of frames. First hive, the nadired super was empty and the brood frames had plenty of space for more stores as well as having brood. So gave them some Ambrosia to supplement what they'd gathered as less is coming in. Second hive, the nadired super had a good lot of stores, and there was a similar situation in the BB as with the other hive - so they had some Ambrosia. Plenty of bees and all seemingly very content. Let's see what they're up to in a week. Now to count varroa on the boards.. first impression is not a lot.

 

[Do224]

Had a peek in yesterday and they were jamming stores between the top bars and the crown board. The box was rammed with bees too (couldn’t even see the top bars through all the bees). Didn’t expect that and I panicked a bit and put a drawn super on for them…wondering if I was a bit hasty now?! Should I take it off?

 

[Garry R]

I adopt the idea at this time of year that it is better to have more than enough stores than just enough or not enough!! The bees will sort it out!

 

[Murox]

Had a peek in yesterday and they were jamming stores between the top bars and the crown board. The box was rammed with bees too (couldn’t even see the top bars through all the bees). Didn’t expect that and I panicked a bit and put a drawn super on for them…wondering if I was a bit hasty now?! Should I take it off?

Probably a bit hasty, yes.

 

[user 819]

A knee jerk reaction to weather and hive conditons, a couple of warm days forecast then a wetter autumn week ahead for some.
Though the reaction is dependant on hive set up state.

 

[pargyle]

Still Summer until the equinox

Still very much shorts and t-shirt weather down here on the Costa del Fareham ....bees flying like mad and heavy landings, no idea what they are finding. The Ivy here is still weeks away.

 

[Do224]

Ok…I’ll take it back off. Hope they haven’t filled much overnight .

Incidentally, I’ve got a part filled super on another hive that I want them to clear down into the bb. I’ve separated it from the bb with a crown board and just allowed a small access hole but they don’t seem to want to move the stores down…any tips? I’d like to get the super away so I can vape

 

[user 819]

Still very much shorts and t-shirt weather down here on the Costa del Fareham ....bees flying like mad and heavy landings, no idea what they are finding. The Ivy here is still weeks away.

From the pollen I'm seeing of quite great quantity in some of my hives then phacelia or RBWH.

 

[pargyle]

From the pollen I'm seeing of quite great quantity in some of my hives then phacelia or RBWH.

Could well be.. there's certainlty RBWH by the railway less than half a mile away ... lots of flowers in domestic gardens and the parks around me as well. Bees are not fussy as long as it's worth the effort.

 

[ericbeaumont]

any tips?

They won't clear using that method when any sort of flow is bringing in nectar. Wait until ivy has flowered and all else has ceased, and they'll clear it.

 

[Swarm]

Nice photo, a good, strong colony.

 

[drex]

They won't clear using that method when any sort of flow is bringing in nectar. Wait until ivy has flowered and all else has ceased, and they'll clear it.

I find that giving them a bit of space under the super to be cleared by using a wide eke etc, then they will clear it, whatever the flow. After all bees are efficient ( see Seeley) . Much more efficient to climb upstairs rather than fly a Km or whatever to get a reward.

 

[Do224]

Nice photo, a good, strong colony.

They’re a swarm from May. I tried supering them earlier in the year but we had that horrible weather in July and I ended up taking it off and having to give them a couple of frames of stores to keep them going. The last month they’ve exploded though and are the strongest looking hive I’ve got.

Never worked with nicer bees either…can happily inspect in just a veil. So I’m keen to look after them and take some splits off them if/when they try to swarm next year

 

[ericbeaumont]

space under the super

Tried that: put Abelo box feeders on 10 colonies last week (about 6"/150mm) with the metal baffle in. Of a stack of 4 boxes of dregs each, the MO is to clean 3 and put it (or income) into the one on the feeder.

 

[Norton]

I would leave the super on the hive.