Hive Layout

[Ian123]

What was the answer again? I often wonder with such threads if I live in an area that is very different to most.

OK, I've only been keeping bees for about 5 years but each season has been very different. One the bees stuffed their hives with ivy and still had plenty left in spring but last winter there was virtually no ivy at all.

Some colonies also don't seem to cope well with a double brood so I do leave a super of honey on top. This winter, even with a full brood box, a couple of colonies ate though everything and did need some fondant.

If a super is left on top then it does turn into a brood and a half which I know annoys some.

As I learn I'm gradually moving to double brood boxes, dummied down where necessary. This year things seem to be going ok but that could be down to the good weather (my colonies are actually capping up their stores now which is much earlier than previous years).

And another thing that seems different to others, we have loads of wasps and hornets in the garden but very little problems with them raiding the bees, even with no entrance blocks.

Wasps rarely cause an issue this early on, it’s later when they move to sweet feeding that issues start. I’ve seen very few around the hives so far this season.

 

[Woodland bees]

I'm talking about previous years too. Last year I counted 6 wasp nests and a hornets nest within a few hundred meters of the hives so there would have been far more about. Wasps and hornets all about the garden, but no problem with the hives.

I know from here some people seem to have no end of problems, but I wouldn't put it down to leaving a super of stores on.

 

[Patrick1]

You need to see my apiaries yesterday, they were diving in while I was inspecting ☹

 

[Boston Bees]

I know from here some people seem to have no end of problems, but I wouldn't put it down to leaving a super of stores on.

Leaving a super of stores above a brood box would make no difference to wasps, I agree. But moving a super under a brood box would definitely make robbing more likely, as it moves the heavily defended brood nest away from the entrance and puts a huge block of sugar right where the wasps want it.