Good signs, is space ok?

[Cb50]

I checked my new hive today to see progress. New swarm from three weeks ago.

Lots of progress from last week. Eggs seen, larvae seen, sealed brood seen, very few drone brood, pollen, and sealed honey. All frames in the brood box were full of something.

Was really nice to see and the kids and adults asked what all the different colours on the frames were from afar.

I did have lots of comb below the frames some quite large, some had sealed brood that tore open, not being an expert the larvae did look quite large. Is a bottom space hive.

Do I need to do anything to reduce or stop that or is it just normal.?Have read the books but doesn't really say too much about that other than if gaps are too big in between or below - I don't think that is case for me.

All my frames were undrawn so they have done well. Finally, any views on when to add more space above or below the QE.

Cheers

 

[REDWOOD]

Foundation is worker based foundation to produce workers and a colony needs a few drones so they build drone cells usually on the outside edges of frames and sometimes get broken when inspecting. The removal is up to you.

 

[REDWOOD]

When you have BIAS on about 7 frames give them more space

 

[Cb50]

Foundation is worker based foundation to produce workers and a colony needs a few drones so they build drone cells usually on the outside edges of frames and sometimes get broken when inspecting. The removal is up to you.

Is it a good idea therefore to put in a frame of drone foundation or a blank one with a strip of foundation to encourage the drone brood to be grown there instead of below?

 

[oliver90owner]

All frames in the brood box were full of something.

How many supers are fitted? The above tells me something loud and clear.

 

[enrico]

They will still put it below so.....no. If the space is big enough they will fill it. Don't worry it doesn't do any harm, just looks a bit scruffy. If it really annoys you you can scrape it off but it is doing no harm. Don't give up more worker brood for drone!
E

 

[Cb50]

All frames in the brood box were full of something.

How many supers are fitted? The above tells me something loud and clear.

One.

 

[Cb50]

They will still put it below so.....no. If the space is big enough they will fill it. Don't worry it doesn't do any harm, just looks a bit scruffy. If it really annoys you you can scrape it off but it is doing no harm. Don't give up more worker brood for drone!
E

Nah doesn't annoy me, just don't like tearing it from the base on taking frame out. Doesn't seem right to destroy larvae and work opinion a hive that is trying to grow!

 

[oliver90owner]

Tell us the whole story. What is in it?

 

[Cb50]

Tell us the whole story. What is in it?

I added it a week ago as it seemed to me they were expanding fast and I had bias across 7 frames, in my less experienced opinion.

This was above the QE which maybe an error? Thus far they have partially drawn out 3 or 4 frames, nothing in them yet store wise.

Photo attached of one frame I wanted to show my keen family.

 

[drex]

Is it a good idea therefore to put in a frame of drone foundation or a blank one with a strip of foundation to encourage the drone brood to be grown there instead of below?

At times I put in a super frame with normal foundation. They build drone comb under and when sealed can be culled as part of IPM. In my thriving TBH the amount of drone comb amazes me. Always at the back of the hive.

 

[Tom Bick]

At times I put in a super frame with normal foundation. They build drone comb under and when sealed can be culled as part of IPM. In my thriving TBH the amount of drone comb amazes me. Always at the back of the hive.

A healthy colony on natural comb will have approx 20% of the comb as drone with the result of 1000’s of drones and the bees love having the boys around.

 

[oliver90owner]

Doesn't seem right to destroy larvae and work opinion a hive that is trying to grow!

First bit is clear, second half is incomprehensible. Unless you have omitted the word 'of'.

So you want lots of drones in your hive? Not planning on removing this extra drone brood? If you are, is there any difference with removal of other cells built where inappropriate?

You need to read up about varroa and worker versus drone brood.

Tom and Drex right about top bar hives - they do tend to have a greater drone complement. That may be one reason why the winter survival rate of top bar colonies has been questioned on occasions previously. But it does not necessarily follow that all healthy colonies are those with higher percentages of drones.

For a start very small healthy colonies have no drone brood, healthy colonies kick out their drone complement at the onset of winter just the same as others do. Healthy winter colonies have few or none. So there are other reasons for large drone populations and the main reason is fairly obvious.

You might think 'naturally' that is true, and a lot out there might try to support your view, but it is not.

Regarding not fully drawing wax in the super - why should they? Presumably there is a fair amount of stores in the brood box- above and beyond the normal 'healthy' honey arch. If so, that may be a problem which needs attending to - brood boxes are just that, for brooding purposes. Many inexperienced beeks suffer from the illusion that a full brood box is a perfectly satisfactory situation. The only time that is really true is at the onset of winter.

 

[Cb50]

Doesn't seem right to destroy larvae and work opinion a hive that is trying to grow!

First bit is clear, second half is incomprehensible. Unless you have omitted the word 'of'.

So you want lots of drones in your hive? Not planning on removing this extra drone brood? If you are, is there any difference with removal of other cells built where inappropriate?

You need to read up about varroa and worker versus drone brood.

Tom and Drex right about top bar hives - they do tend to have a greater drone complement. That may be one reason why the winter survival rate of top bar colonies has been questioned on occasions previously. But it does not necessarily follow that all healthy colonies are those with higher percentages of drones.

For a start very small healthy colonies have no drone brood, healthy colonies kick out their drone complement at the onset of winter just the same as others do. Healthy winter colonies have few or none. So there are other reasons for large drone populations and the main reason is fairly obvious.

You might think 'naturally' that is true, and a lot out there might try to support your view, but it is not.

Regarding not fully drawing wax in the super - why should they? Presumably there is a fair amount of stores in the brood box- above and beyond the normal 'healthy' honey arch. If so, that may be a problem which needs attending to - brood boxes are just that, for brooding purposes. Many inexperienced beeks suffer from the illusion that a full brood box is a perfectly satisfactory situation. The only time that is really true is at the onset of winter.

Yes there was stores in the brood box, seemed in the right areas/amounts was the only place they could store it until last week as it was just a brood box. The super is not fully drawn out, I am not expecting that after a week, and the quantum of bees in there was light again I suspect because the colony is small being a growing swarm. Did not concern me just interested to know if it was normal and ok.

have read on varroa and drone brood etc. My question is do they need more brood space, as my super is above the QE and therefore is only store space.

CB

 

[oliver90owner]

Ahh, sorry. There was me thinking it was about stores as well.

Your thread starter. , any views on when to add more space above or below the QE. ( my underlining).