Does this sound normal?

[Craig1961]

Hi.
As some of you read, I had a swarm move into my hive last Monday. By Wednesday morning they had made quite a lot of wild comb in the roof.
I removed this and shook them onto the frames in the brood box.
Today I added a super and was suprised they had only built on the old comb and not the new frames. They have been fed since Wednesday and it seems only a caste swarm.....

Any advice?

Thnks,
Craig.

 

[the naked beekeeper]

Why did you add a super?

A cast swarm from Monday definitely won't need a super for at the very least 8 weeks minimum. The queen might not even have mated.

Secondly, given a choice, bees will always build their own comb.
You will need to make sure that the crown board hole is covered after ensuring that the bees are in the BB; with the full complement of frames.

 

[drstitson]

why are you adding a super?

IMHO the bees will prefer starting from proven scaffold than man made substitute.

give them time to feed and fill out the brood box frames - as you say they are a caste so don't need a big space yet - might do to dummy them up a bit until HM starts laying.

edit - NBK you beat me to it!

 

[Craig1961]

Added super as I thought with what they built in one day, the BB would be fullish.
shoul I take it off, or leave it now its there?

 

[richardbees]

Craig,

yes, yes, yes - take it off.

Apart from drawing comb they also have to go out and "forage"

 

[drstitson]

accepted wisdom here is that supers go on when all frames drawn and 8 frames of brood present.