First quick look of of the year, bit of advice please

[fisherman 451]

I got my bee's back in August, they are in a single brood national.

Today with the weather looking a little more favourable I decided to have a quick look and see the state of play. Everything seems to have gone pretty well through the winter, bees covering around 4 full frames, Did not manage to see the queen, but did see brood in all stages so I am pretty sure she is there, didn't want to let them get too chilled. There was also around 4 frames of stores, now my question is, will they move the stores up into a super if I put one on or should I consider doing a Bailey Comb change.

Thanks in advance

Keith

 

[Beefriendly]

They have been known to move stores from the brood box into the supers (as per WWII green sugar feeding) and if you have fed pre-winter they may be moving up "sugar honey" and adulterating a potential honey crop.
You might consider just removing the frames with excess stores and replacing with empty (drawn if possible) frames of foundation.
That way you have stores to feed back if the weather goes tits up or spare stores to add to any Nuc's you may make in the future.

 

[Anduril]

It is too soon for a super, there aren't enough bees yet. Why would you consider a Bailey comb change, when you can change around 3 frames per year.

 

[Erichalfbee]

They might well eat them. The colony is still small, let them grow.
As for changing frames I take one frame out at each inspection so a box is changed in a season

 

[Brigsy]

I've been meaning to ask you about this. Do you do this with foundation? And do you feed the frames in (if warm way) from by the entrance and push the brood nest towards the back slowly? I understand they will 'tread' water re the nest position.

 

[Anduril]

Change the old frames with foundation. Your question describes the warm way.

 

[Brigsy]

Edited!

 

[Anduril]

You're moving frames that they are hardly using, which are against the walls of the hive.

 

[Millet]

I am not sure who put this idea into my head as i can be rubbish with names, anyway (the warm way) take the frame out at the entrance side and slide the 10 remaining frame to the front in one go and stick the frame from the front at the back, do this on every or every other inspection depending on what is on the frame at the front at the time of inspections, a bit like a conveyor belt in slow motion..

 

[Erichalfbee]

I've been meaning to ask you about this. Do you do this with foundation? And do you feed the frames in (if warm way) from by the entrance and push the brood nest towards the back slowly? I understand they will 'tread' water re the nest position.

I wait until they have got going so not at first inspection. I take out a frame at the back push the frames back and put the new frame at the front. The brood in my poly hives is usually in the front ( til the bees get going and fill the box) so it's drawn and laid up pretty quickly. And yes, foundation

 

[Brigsy]

Thanks, mine position towards the front early on like yours. I was thinking if I went the other way around I would be pulling brood or pollen most of the time.

 

[fisherman 451]

Thanks for all your suggestions, will let them be for now and see how things progress

 

[BernardBlack]

Re: Bailey change - I thought that was just used when disease had set in, and you needed the bees onto new clean comb?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Re: Bailey change - I thought that was just used when disease had set in, and you needed the bees onto new clean comb?

That's a shook swarm.
Empty all the bees onto new foundation and throw the brood/old frames away

 

[BernardBlack]

That's a shook swarm.
Empty all the bees onto new foundation and throw the brood/old frames away

But doesn't a Bailey do the same thing? Just less stressful for the bees, and takes a bit longer?

 

[Erichalfbee]

But doesn't a Bailey do the same thing? Just less stressful for the bees, and takes a bit longer?

No, because you are keeping ALL the brood. With a shook swarm it all gets sacrificed

 

[BernardBlack]

No, because you are keeping ALL the brood. With a shook swarm it all gets sacrificed

Ah right, fair enough.