Did I do the right thing?

[Paulypaul]

Some of my colonies have come out of winter firing on all cylinders.
Upon inspection, one had built comb up into the upturned poly feeder.
Every cell had an egg in it.

I removed it all and plonked a deep of undrawn foundation on top.

View attachment 1000010622.mp4

 

[pargyle]

A bit optimistic - the forecast for the week ahead in Surrey is 9 degrees - not very warm. With a whole brood box of undrawn foundation you have probably given them a very big task - they may struggle to heat the brood in the existing brood box with that much space now and have the warmth to draw out comb. Unless there is some OSR on your doorstep there is not going to be much of a flow to give them the nectar to draw out all those frames.

IMO .., No. I think I'd have been inclined to just check how many frames of stores/brood in the existing brood box and perhaps remove a frame or two of stores if they have plenty and put a couple of frames of foundation either side of the brood area (drawn comb would be better if you had it).

Time will tell ...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Personally, after clearing all that brace comb away, I would have had a quick look to see
A) how much brood there is
B) how much stores they have
C) how much space the queen has for laying.
D) how many bees there are
Then guessing on what you find maybe swapping some of the stores out for foundation or drawn comb, although by the cursory information I can glean from the video they have space.
If I was really concerned and D) showed there were loads of bees, I'd slap a queen excluder on then a super.

 

[Paulypaul]

Thanks for feedback.

Some additional info: 2 weeks ago I added a super to the neighbouring colony as they were bursting out of the hive (brood and a half). Yesterday, all frames in that super were fully drawn.

All that brace comb in the aforementioned hive was built in under 2 weeks, as it wasn't there at last inspection. That indicated to me they have found a nectar source.
The brace comb colony had zero artificial feed over winter, they only have what they built up in the autumn..

All colonies are in Abelo poly hives.
The apiary is located in an overgrown abandoned orchard that is starting to go into blossom.

 

[Antipodes]

D) showed there were loads of bees, I'd slap a queen excluder on then a super.

That's what I would have done. 100%
Get some spring honey. Sell it.
I'd go and take the big box you've just put on off ASAP, and pop the excluder and super on.

 

[ericbeaumont]

one had built comb up into the upturned poly feeder

Yes, it happens in a good spring, like this:



Last week this DBB colony was chock full of bees, and like yours, had built comb in the upturned feeder, wedged in by the remains of a chunk of fondant box.

In this case, the wild comb was empty, and as the temp. will average 14 next week I gave them a box of foundation on a QX (clearly, they have a young workforce), a drawn box of combs above that (clearly, there's a good flow on), and then feeder/crownboard the correct way round. I expect the bees in the feeder to return downstairs; going back on Friday, so will report the outcome.

In your case: yes, if the colony is as strong as you describe, I would have added a QX+super, then a QX, then the upside down feeder and roof. Check for eggs after a three days to determine whether the queen is in the feeder. The brood will not suffer and the gap between BBs and feeder will be filled quickly.

Post a photo?

 

[ericbeaumont]

a deep of undrawn foundation on top

How did it over-winter? Single BB, B+half, DBB?

 

[Paulypaul]

How did it over-winter? Single BB, B+half, DBB?

1 x Super over 1 x BB, with QE and upturned polyfeeder on top.
No additional feed provided over winter.

Side note: realised part way into winter the super had been put on crossways to the BB. Switched into correct orientation. Despite my incompetence, they are doing this well.

 

[ericbeaumont]

QE and upturned polyfeeder on top

Yet there is brood above the QE. Any below it in the BB? If so, could be mother and daughter at work either side of the QX.

1 x Super over 1 x BB

That combo usually ends with B+half and work to get them onto DBB.

 

[Paulypaul]

Yet there is brood above the QE. Any below it in the BB? If so, could be mother and daughter at work either side of the QX.

I removed the QE 2 weeks ago. Immediately they built into the upturned feeder.

My thinking on adding the new deep is that I'll use it to start the process of switching them to DBB.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Post a photo?

Your video just appeared. Why the constant smoke? One puff, perhaps, to say hello, but the rest is madness!

That comb is all drone; did you remove it?

 

[Antipodes]

I removed the QE 2 weeks ago. Immediately they built into the upturned feeder.

My thinking on adding the new deep is that I'll use it to start the process of switching them to DBB.

Take the big box off as soon as you can Paulpaul.
Pop an excluder on the brood box and a smaller honey super on top of the queen excluder. Check it in a couple of weeks and you should see some honey in it. That sort of colony will need swarm control measures this spring (probably in about three weeks) so be prepared at the appropriate time to do swarm mitigation measures ...like a Demaree. All the best with them. They are a good colony. You've done the right thing by checking them out when you did, so well done.

 

[Paulypaul]

Your video just appeared. Why the constant smoke? One puff, perhaps, to say hello, but the rest is madness!

That comb is all drone; did you remove it?

Yes. It's all gone.

Seems they are a very high swarm risk.

 

[Paulypaul]

Take the big box off as soon as you can Paulpaul.
Pop an excluder on the brood box and a smaller honey super on top of the queen excluder. Check it in a couple of weeks and you should see some honey in it. That sort of colony will need swarm control measures this spring (probably in about three weeks) so be prepared at the appropriate time to do swarm mitigation measures ...like a Demaree. All the best with them. They are a good colony. You've done the right thing by checking them out when you did, so well done.

I'm prepped with all that's required for a Demaree, and keen to try it.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Seems they are a very high swarm risk.

why?

 

[Paulypaul]

why?

The wild comb was all drone cells. The hive hefts heavy with stores and is packed with bees.
Although I haven't done an inspection this year, due to the weather. I could have a look under the BB on Friday to see if there are swarm cells.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Seems they are a very high swarm risk

Yes, I agree with JBM: they are no more a swarm risk than any other, just advanced, and doing what bees do in the space provided.

If you gave starter strips instead of worker foundation, they'd probably do the same thing. It's the beekeeper that limits drone production.

wild comb was all drone cells. The hive hefts heavy with stores and is packed with bees.

Interesting to see what they'll do with that BB of foundation in the next week.

 

[ericbeaumont]

a look under the BB

The top BB, I assume you to mean.

 

[Paulypaul]

@ericbeaumont This Friday, I'll have a look in the top deep, which I added on Saturday, to see what they've done with it - the neighbouring colony drew out a super I added 2 weeks ago.
I'll also have a look under the bottom BB, without disturbing any frames, to see if there are any signs of swarm cells - hopefully not.

I'll keep this thread updated with photos of findings.

When do you think could be an appropriate weekend for a Demaree on this one? Give them another 2 weeks?

 

[user 819]

I'm probably not far away on Sx/Surrey border and haven't even contemplated opening my colonies yet.
Bursting with bees also means many 1000's of older winter bees that soon will be dying off , the colony will then soon shrink a little for a short time.
There are times and conditions to carry out such fiddling but not when we have only had one or two reasonably nice days which tbh doesn't indicate settled whether yet (at least not where I am) .