Feeding when changing to 14 x 12

[nuporter]

Hi, yesterday I changed my national brood boxes to 14 x12s on my 3 hives. I followed advice from a previous post - putting the new 14 x 12 plus the queen on her old frame , on the bottom, then queen excluder, then old brood box. I was then advised to feed 1-1 to help them draw out the new foundation.
The question I have is: one of my hives was over wintered on a national brood box plus super as it was so big. The brood box is full of brood on all frames, and there is brood on 3 frames in the super, with lots of bees!!. After putting the new 14 x 12 underneath, with queen, and old brood box on top, do I need to feed the bees as they have a full super anyway? Or shall I remove the super and feed the bees till new foundation is drawn, then put full super back on? Or shall I feed the bees and put the old full super on the top of the hive?
Confused?
Thanks
Nuala x

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Hi, yesterday I changed my national brood boxes to 14 x12s on my 3 hives. I followed advice from a previous post - putting the new 14 x 12 plus the queen on her old frame , on the bottom, then queen excluder, then old brood box. I was then advised to feed 1-1 to help them draw out the new foundation.
The question I have is: one of my hives was over wintered on a national brood box plus super as it was so big. The brood box is full of brood on all frames, and there is brood on 3 frames in the super, with lots of bees!!. After putting the new 14 x 12 underneath, with queen, and old brood box on top, do I need to feed the bees as they have a full super anyway? Or shall I remove the super and feed the bees till new foundation is drawn, then put full super back on? Or shall I feed the bees and put the old full super on the top of the hive?
Confused?
Thanks
Nuala x

That was bad advice wherever you read it.

Put the new box on top of everything - NO QX wait until the bees have started drawing out the foundation so that there's room for HM to lay then move her up there and insert QX feed 1;1 if you think they need it.

Bit too early to start extreme evoloutins like that anyway IMHO

You've now got a queen trapped in a vast emty cavern, nowhere to lay, bees trying to frantically cover brood and care for a queen stranded away from the nest and the nights are still cold.

Mrs Beeton would list this recipe under D I think for Disaster

 

[oliver90owner]

Agree with JBM. Don't believe anything and everything you read. Think for yourself and work out why that was posted like that. Make sure you read it properly as well.

First think might be where it is warmest, for comb building. Second think might be when to do it. Prolly several other thinks, as well.

Can you post a link to the post so we can evaluate it?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Bet you it's something to do with this obsession that bees won't move on to fresh foundation. I know finny puts boxes under at the beginning of the season but not as part of bailey change rather in case they need room and when temperatures are suitable

 

[Obee1]

Bet you it's something to do with this obsession that bees won't move on to fresh foundation. I know finny puts boxes under at the beginning of the season but not as part of bailey change rather in case they need room and when temperatures are suitable

There is a lot of conflicting advice around, even on this forum, and as a newbie it can be confusing. I thought I read bees need either a nectar flow or 1:1 sugar water to draw out foundation ( which I thought about and decided made sense) problem I have is knowing if there is nectar available at the moment. I put some frames of foundation into my hive and don't know whether to feed to enable drawing out. There is lots of uncapped Amber liquid in the hive. Would this be nectar being processed or honey been uncapped- or are they processing the candipollen feed they have? There is a lot of cherry blossom in the park opposite.
Obee

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

There is a lot of conflicting advice around, even on this forum, and as a newbie it can be confusing. I thought I read bees need either a nectar flow or 1:1 sugar water to draw out foundation ( which I thought about and decided made sense) problem I have is knowing if there is nectar available at the moment. I put some frames of foundation into my hive and don't know whether to feed to enable drawing out. There is lots of uncapped Amber liquid in the hive. Would this be nectar being processed or honey been uncapped- or are they processing the candipollen feed they have? There is a lot of cherry blossom in the park opposite.
Obee

In your case I'd leave well alone, just make sure they have enough stores. Enough pollen coming in now not to need feeding candipoline,but as it's there.........
you should now get both nectar and pollen from the cherries - more advanced than around here for sure!

 

[drex]

it takes a lot of energy for bees to make wax. For that energy they consume carbohydrate ( sugar, nectar, fondant etc). They have to maintain a high temperature to draw out the wax. Heat rises, so foundation is best drawn above the brood.
They will only draw it if they need to draw it ( and the need is best not created by trapping the queen somewhere that she has nowhere to lay).
It is better to work with your bees and not against them. Patience. In my book and area it is still far too early for such manipulations.
Totally agree with JBM. Hopefully they will sort it for themselves, provided they have enough food and insulation

 

[Obee1]

In your case I'd leave well alone, just make sure they have enough stores. Enough pollen coming in now not to need feeding candipoline,but as it's there.........
you should now get both nectar and pollen from the cherries - more advanced than around here for sure!

Thanks jbm. I thought it looked like nectar in the hive. A couple of frames of it too! Just took the dogs out in the park and am amazed by the amount of cherry blossom so close by. Gosh my bees are lucky!
I live in the city centre and the park is quite sheltered - seems to have its own microclimate. It's plants are always blossoming ahead of the ones in our garden.

Obee