clearing supers

[Spanker]

hi guys
first time clearing supers and extracting so after some advise below is my current configuration.

I've got 3 supers on 2 are 90% capped so I was going to remove these and extract the 3rd is half full.

so what I've done is from the bottom

brood box
q excluder
another brood box with 10 frames of foundation
3rd super that's half full
clearer board with Porter bee escapes
2 supers that are 90% capped

does this sound ok
how long do i need to leave the clearer board on?
will there be enough room in the second brood box?
I was going to leave the second brood box to see if they will draw it out for next year.

 

[pargyle]

hi guys
first time clearing supers and extracting so after some advise below is my current configuration.

I've got 3 supers on 2 are 90% capped so I was going to remove these and extract the 3rd is half full.

so what I've done is from the bottom

brood box
q excluder
another brood box with 10 frames of foundation
3rd super that's half full
clearer board with Porter bee escapes
2 supers that are 90% capped

does this sound ok
how long do i need to leave the clearer board on?
will there be enough room in the second brood box?
I was going to leave the second brood box to see if they will draw it out for next year.

I think you are giving them too much space and I doubt they will touch the brood box full of foundation ... better to get them well fed for winter. Are you leaving them with the half filled super ? What size boxes do you use ? If it's standard national you could put the half filled one below the brood box if they really need the space - they will move the uncapped up into the broodbox where they will need it for winter. If you are on 14 x 12 you can still do the same but they provably won't need that much space to overwinter so once they have moved the stores up you could take it off.
Porter bee escapes are rubbish ... rarely work well .. I'd get some rhombus bee escapes from Simon the beekeeper and replace the porter ones ...

Rhombus ones ... in my experiences almost total clearance in a few hours .. on in the morning clear by teatime... porter escapes...good luck!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I'd be inclined to clear all the supers if you are putting on another brood box BUT.....what is the stores situation in the brood?
I hate porters....they take ages to clear and you have to just get the whiskers in the wrong place and they don't work at all!
Put them on and check the supers a day later?
Capped supers generally have few bees on them so you might be able to get away simply brushing the bees off

I'm putting an extra brood on a nuc on many frames so I'm hoping they will draw those if I feed but I don't know about a whole brood box

 

[Spanker]

I'm on standard national boxes,there's still plenty of brood and loads of bees, I'd say there's 2 frames of stores in the brood, it looks like they've just started filling the empty spaces with honey still larve and eggs
I could leave the half filled super on I was going to feed them to see if they'd draw the other brood box out quickly and then remove it leaving then with the single brood over winter,if the.ported escapes don't work.ill look at getting a rhombas clearer .
will they manage on a single brood box over winter or do they usually need Additional feed

 

[Erichalfbee]

Leave them the half filled super on top effectively making brood and a half and take out the QX.
If they are happy on B1/2 you might consider 14x12 next year?

 

[Mandeville]

I've never had a problem with Porter escapes, I've always used them and found they work fine.
I usually put the clearer boards on mid-late afternoon and by next morning there's only a handful of bees left.

 

[Poly Hive]

You are very lucky if not unique. As said above they can and often are a total pain, plus they create the holes in the crown boards which let precious brood warmth out.

PH

 

[Jambo]

FWIW I put a new brood box of foundation on top of a couple of my hives this time last year and with a feed they drew it out a treat. Drawn comb is great to have.