Condensing for winter

[Superneutrino]

In my first year of beekeeping and have had my hive on double brood national (poly).

Colony is going ok i think.

They currently have 10-13 frames with something on either brood or stores with the rest drawn but empty. The bees are taking the space and there are lots of bees but by no means 'bursting'.

The 'active' frames are actoss both the boxes.

Currently being fed with invertbee.

Should i be looking at condensing them down into one box to overwinter?

Should i condense them into one box to overwinter?

 

[Ian123]

By the sound of it I’d put them into a single box and feed, if the second box is empty it’s pretty pointless it being there. Have you treated.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Should i condense them into one box to overwinter?

Oh, Lordy, yes!

Best frames of pollen, honey + all the brood. Rest can go into sealed storage for next year, but use sulphur strips to protect the combs against wax moth.

Colony is going ok i think

Seen BIAS?
Treated for varroa?
Are they foraging on ivy or HB?

 

[drex]

I run double brood all year round. After all, in a tree cavity they can't chop out the bottom bit of the cavity. I move brood and stores up to top box to fill it. Any left go in middle of bottom box with drawn comb on outside. However my colonies are usually good and strong going into winter. Let the bees tell you

 

[Superneutrino]

Oh, Lordy, yes!

Best frames of pollen, honey + all the brood. Rest can go into sealed storage for next year, but use sulphur strips to protect the combs against wax moth.


Seen BIAS?
Treated for varroa?
Are they foraging on ivy or HB

Yep, BIAS is there.
Apiguard treatment was completed 2 weeks ago.
As for forage, to be honest I don't know, they were active yesterday that much was clear (how can i tell?)

In a Single box how many frames of stores should they have?

By the sound of it I’d put them into a single box and feed, if the second box is empty it’s pretty pointless it being there. Have you treated.

Yep they are treated and I'm currently feeding Invertbee and they currently have 2/3 good solid frames of stores with the rest spread over other frames.