Drawing supers

[Rock_Chick]

I’ve got one hive on DB and a good colony, I’ve had a super on for 2weeks, when I inspected, no bees in there at al. All foundation none of it touched, I have a few part filled ones I will put in to hope encourage them. But very strange, not one bee in there.

 

[Swarm]

What excluder? There were problems with the plastic ones with a rim.

 

[CaptainCymru]

I’ve got one hive on DB and a good colony, I’ve had a super on for 2weeks, when I inspected, no bees in there at al. All foundation none of it touched, I have a few part filled ones I will put in to hope encourage them. But very strange, not one bee in there.

Try remove the queen excluder it there is one, the part filled frames will help .

 

[Finman]

.
The colony must be so small, that it cannot uccupy the super.

What has happened in the brood box?
How much brood, queen cells, how many frames covered with bees

 

[madasafish]

If you don't have at least 16 frames on bees in the two brood boxes - that is both sides covered with bees- your colony has enough space without a super.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Looks pretty obvious they don't want to go up as @madasafish you're on a double brood, unless it's stuffed with bees there's no need to go up

 

[BoStor]

Can someone explain at what point does a 2nd brood box become the option/imperative rather than adding a super?

 

[Finman]

Can someone explain at what point does a 2nd brood box become the option/imperative rather than adding a super?

Seldom one brood box is enough to a modern queen bee. Brood box should give space to pollen too. If brood box is too small, bees store pollen into supers. They must have pollen stores for bad days.

It is used too brood and half, but it is much more handier if you use double brood.

I do not use excluders, and that is why I use 3 langstroth brood boxes. The lowest brood box is usually filled with pollen and no brood. The same hive is in winter in one brood box ir in two boxes.

 

[REDWOOD]

Can someone explain at what point does a 2nd brood box become the option/imperative rather than adding a super?

Can someone explain at what point does a 2nd brood box become the option/imperative rather than adding a super?

7 frames of brood add a super, 10 frames of brood split BB what ever preferred method or add another BB

 

[Finman]

7 frames of brood add a super, 10 frames of brood split BB what ever preferred method or add another BB

That is a good advice. When one brood box is full, then add second BB. .... the idea is to rear a good colony before you hope honey from it.

One box colony is not able to get honey. It does not have space for nectar, honey, pollen and brood . Wet nectar only blocks laying space and then the colony swarms.

Add second BB under the first BB. The colony staets to use it gradually when it us ready. So it goes in nature.

 

[Levitt53]

My bees are fine on single brood. I think it depends. If I have tried it I've found they just fill it with honey.

 

[Finman]

7 frames of brood add a super.

No. Wait that 10 brood frames are full, and then add next 10 brood frames under the brood.

 

[REDWOOD]

I run 14X12 and only once have I double brooded

 

[Finman]

My bees are fine on single brood. I think it depends. If I have tried it I've found they just fill it with honey.

Your queens are not good. They are not able to lay more. But if you do not mind about honey crop, it is same what is laying in the hive.

The hive must be big, that it can store the nectar which is present on pastures.

If you want early crop from rape, you must have a strong colony in Autumn.

 

[Levitt53]

Your queen is not good. It is not able to lay more. But if you fo not mind about honey crop, it is same what is laying in the hive.

They are fine for me and produce plenty of honey.

 

[Finman]

They are fine for me and produce plenty of honey.

How much is plenty of honey in kilos?

When a colony makes one capped box honey, it needs 2 more supers where bees store and dry upp incoming nectar.

But now it was question about double brood hive, how to make such. First you need a queen, which is able to use 2 brood boxes. Of course, if the queen cannot lay more than one box, the bees fill second box with nectar.

When a box above brood is quite full of honey, you add third empty box above brood. And next empty box again above the brood. Then you have 3 honey boxes and They may contain 50 kg honey.

But all depends on, how much the colony has bees, and it depends, how much the queen can lay.

 

[Finman]

I run 14X12 and only once have I double brooded

Very popular style in Finland is to use langstroth medium as brood boxes and as supers. To professionals and to women full Langstroth is too heavy to handle. So common space for brood is 3 medium boxes.

Then before main yield professionals add an excluder above the 2 boxes, that the colony makes less brood towards autumn.

So, the queen can lay first half of summer freely and makes a good colony, but on second half the laying space is limited.

And hobby beekeepers do what they do.

 

[Worker bee]

Sandwich it between your two broods until nearly drawn then put it back up top with excluder on. You may have some frames layed out but it's fast for getting it drawn. Much better done at start of the season though. Once it has honey in it the bees will get the idea. If you don't want to have the queen lay in it at all spray it with honey and water each day until the bees are drawing it out nicely

 

[Worker bee]

I’ve got one hive on DB and a good colony, I’ve had a super on for 2weeks, when I inspected, no bees in there at al. All foundation none of it touched, I have a few part filled ones I will put in to hope encourage them. But very strange, not one bee in there.

One thing I will add is that not all queen excluders are good. I can have one type on one hive and the honey the bees put in the super is minimal I can change that excluder and it's full in a few days. Wired excluders are the best in my opinion

 

[Curly green finger's]

One thing I will add is that not all queen excluders are good. I can have one type on one hive and the honey the bees put in the super is minimal I can change that excluder and it's full in a few days. Wired excluders are the best in my opinion

I would agree they are my favourite and work best for me.
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