Can I relax or should I be doing more?

[dudley]

I have a National hive running 11 no. 14 x 12 deep frames with dummy board. Queen excluder on top and until today only had one super.
Upon inspection I found my marked queen from a swarm last year, plenty of capped brood, eggs, larvae and just as all my other inspections this year fortunately there were no queen cells. I did find 4 play cups and one of these had larvae in, all of which I broke down.
I added a second super under the original as I could hardly lift the it, all 12 frames were capped and full. Two weeks ago they still had super foundation to draw.

Even though it was lunchtime on a hot day the brood box was wall to wall briming with bees, it is a very strong colony I think there was possible 7 or 8 frames of brood.

They have been very good in not swarming, so far anyway, and now I have given them more storage they should be ok for making laying down honey. But have i done enough? Can I just sit back or would you recommend making it into a brood and a half, bearing in mind I am already using 14 x 12, or taking brood frames away to add to weaker colonies and replacing with foundation? Or any other action?
Thanks Steve.

 

[oliver90owner]

With 6 colonies you have several options. I would certainly be considering the needs of the other colonies, along with honey crop and the risk of losing a good queen.

If this honey contains any OSR, I would be extracting it. I took off two 'odd' frames from a hive, and the super to extract with them was delayed for two days - the super extracted OK, but those two extras were crystallising and will need to go back to some bees, still some 30% left in them.

You can never just 'sit back' with bees unless you are prepared to accept the unexpected.

I doubt that they need any more space now but can not be sure from all the way up here in Lincolnshire. You must check to ascertain the brood space available and take appropriate action, or risk them going into swarm mode. She is unlikely to swarm again (if she headed a prime swarm), so supercedure is the more likely option before they leave but .......I have been caught out before now.

Regards, RAB