Brood v stores

[Markthebuilder]

So who wants to stick there finger in the air and tell me how many frames need to have space for laying v a hive chock full of stores.

I run 14x12 and apart from 1 hive was possibly too early feeding. The last time I looked 7 days ago hives were choc full of stores with very little space if any for the queen to lay and very little brood
I did rob some sealed brood from one hive and stores from another to bolster a nuc and replaced with foundation to see what happens.
My concern is therfor not that the bees might starve but they are just not strong enough across all hives to get through winter

I see comments re dummy down week hives with insulation etc but is a hive with say 2 seams of bees and 8 frames of stores ok or should I remove stores and dummy down with insulation or unite similar hives

 

[hemo]

8 frames of stores is about the 50 - 56lbs mark, still time to raise some winter brood to have emerge before the months end. Maybe swap out a frame.

 

[Patrick1]

I would be inclined to reduce the stores by a couple of frames, this is were planning helps, if you have a couple of drawn frames from earlier in the season put them in one side of the brood area. If they are inclined to rear brood they will fill them while the weather is still on their side, if they ignore them they can go the other way for stores. If they don’t rear brood they will may fill the frames with Ivy. Remember to reset the hive for winter in the next 3 – 4 weeks.

 

[hemo]

With only 2 seams I would only give one drawn frame to see if the Q lays up some brood lack of bees/seams may chill the brood if too much is laid up.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I would probably transfer them to a nuc reducing the space and give them one more drawn comb.
Store the extra combs.

 

[hemo]

CGF is spot on a nuc would be better for them, one will likely have to keep a close eye on stores/colony weight and feed fondant or replace stores once Dec has past by.