Expansion Problem- HELP

[Busy Bee]

Hi All,

In October last I discovered my brood wall to wall so I placed a super on top for expansion. I opened the hive yesterday to quickly insert Apistan strips to my astonishment. The half brood is completely filled and capped, with as many bees you can imagine and drone. What I am going to do with this hive they have not stopped for the winter and continue to expand.. You advice please!!


Busy Bee

 

[Hombre]

Hungry minds

At a guess, I would say feed them. What ever else happens there are going to be a lot of hungry mouths depleting stores.

Conventional thinking says it's probably too late for sugar syrup, but perhaps in a frame feeder? Other options seem to be fondant or Ambrosia (inverted sugar syrup sold commercially) which can be taken down in cooler weather than straight sugar syrup.

The weather after this wet spell is expected to be abnormally mild, so I might put a drop of syrup into my feeders, where bees were foraging when I peeped in today. If they take it, they take it, but I'm close enough to keep my eye on them.

The experts will be along any time soon and will either confirm what I say or advise you of an alternative plan of action.

 

[MuswellMetro]

Hi All,

In October last I discovered my brood wall to wall so I placed a super on top for expansion. I opened the hive yesterday to quickly insert Apistan strips to my astonishment. The half brood is completely filled and capped, with as many bees you can imagine and drone. What I am going to do with this hive they have not stopped for the winter and continue to expand.. You advice please!!


Busy Bee

what type of honeybee are they, ? carnies. black, italian or Heinz57

when did you last re queen

Are there any supers with stores on, in addition to the cap brood


has the temp in your are dropped this year to below 10c yet

 

[Busy Bee]

Sorry, I haven't worded my senario correctly. They have filled the super completely with stores, half the brood frames are stores and the other half brood. Now they have a column type brood nest spiraling from top of super down to the middle of the brood. They are "black" and the other hive is 1/2 bred Italians. Temps have varied from around 0-10C.

Regards


Busy Bee

 

[Hombre]

All change

Not quite as first advertised, but no matter.

It seems that you have plenty of brood and plenty of stores, so don't keep feeding, but watch. This autumn in common with the rest of this year has apparently been relatively unique in that a lot of bee behaviour has been observed that is apparently contrary to written and perceived wisdom.

You have unwittingly arrived at a brood and a half situation. "Do nothing" is probably the correct advice now. With a sufficiency of brood and stores, you don't have a problem, more an inconvenience if that wasn't what you actually wanted.

PS The bees appear to be firmly in control.

 

[Finman]

.
Busy, your hive is just as it should be. Full of bees and good stores. Brood area is OK.

I wonder how it is spiral but let it be.

 

[thurrock bees]

"Do nothing" is probably the correct advice now. With a sufficiency of brood and stores, you don't have a problem

i totaly agree, just heft the hive every 2/3 weeks, 90% of hives runout of stores in feb/march time, so i would have a block of fondant ready.

 

[Hombre]

If the mild weather keep up, you might find yourself divying that block of fondant up for Christmas presents in the apiary.

 

[MuswellMetro]

i totaly agree, just heft the hive every 2/3 weeks, 90% of hives runout of stores in feb/march time, so i would have a block of fondant ready.

my father use to use DRY granulated suger and a saucer of water on the crown board