Hive with brood frames filled with honey...

[joelsoo]

Hi guys, strange dilemma I have here.

I have a double brood box hive, recently requeened on its own with 2020 mated queen. Mated around 2nd of June when I saw first signs of eggs.

Today 14th June I saw 2 queen cells with queen that is just about emerging.

Top brood box is full of capped honey, they had used it as a super, above there are 2 supers 1 had drawn frames half filled and the 2nd super had frames with foundations partially drawn.

Question is, are they preparing to swarm, because lack of space? If so, should I just extract the top brood frames to give the queen space. Or do i then extract and have to do demaree (which I suspect may be too late now anyway as queen cells are formed.)

Thoughts of what's best to do?

Thank
Joel

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[Erichalfbee]

So you have a newly laying queen and two queen cells that you removed?
How much space is in the bottom brood box?

 

[Finman]

.
If the hive has laying new queen, it shoulf destroy the queen cells. If it does not destroy, the hive is going to swarm.

You should make an artificial swarm. Put into old place an empty box. Then there you put laying queen and a layed frame.

Move the old hive 10 feet. Flying bees move to the new hive on the old site.

Why the hive did not swarm allready, I fo not know. Something odd in it.

Mated queen and two queen cells? Perhaps the queen is not OK.

 

[drex]

You give no indication of the state of the bottom brood box. Lack of space does encourage swarm preps. Undrawn foundation is not space until it is drawn.
As Finman suggests I would do some form of artificial swarm. You might as well extract the brood box full of honey, assuming that you have a bit of honey in remaining brood frames, but I would not count on that alone to avert any swarming, at this stage.

 

[Bear]

I would extract the top brood box, Fit it on the floor. The brood box that was on the floor (with the queen) I would put it on top of that brood box and destroy all queen cells/charged cups and check it in a week.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I would extract the top brood box, Fit it on the floor. The brood box that was on the floor (with the queen) I would put it on top of that brood box and destroy all queen cells/charged cups and check it in a week.

You’re going to encourage robbing putting wet frames unguarded on the floor

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

You’re going to encourage robbing putting wet frames unguarded on the floor

 

[joelsoo]

hi guys,

sorry forgot to mention the bottom brood box had got some brood, i spoken to some chaps of my local association they said it could be that the colony is not happy with the queen, and is hence trying to do a round of supercedure.

as i had destroyed the 2 queen cells, i'm gonna extract the top brood box for now, and followign day return the empty brood frames extracted off honey back to the hive for the queen to lay. i presume if i still see queen cells i'd have to leave it as the colony had prob decided to change the queen, or it might be that the queen don't have enough space.

i was also told that this season's queen is unlikely to swarm after the supercedure. is this correct?

 

[Swarm]

If I see queen cells at this time of year I'm certainly not thinking supersedure.
Saw a swarm fly past today and had a phone call about a swarm this evening.

 

[joelsoo]

If I see queen cells at this time of year I'm certainly not thinking supersedure.
Saw a swarm fly past today and had a phone call about a swarm this evening.

oh just to mention the current queen is a newly mated queen about 2 weeks ago. we are wondering if its a queen that perhaps not mated properly and hence colony is trying to replace her?

 

[Finman]

Brood frames filled with honey. That is easy. Lift the box to the top, and wait that honey is capped.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Brood frames filled with honey. That is easy. Lift the box to the top, and wait that honey is capped.

Yes, (then extract and put it back on top for a refill).

You have two significant factors in your favour, Joel: in five days we'll have reached the solstice, swarming will be nearly over and bees more likely to switch from replication to acquisition for the winter ahead; in tandem with that, the main flow has started in London which will reinforce the desire to acquire.

Upshot is that they are much less likely to swarm, but to be on the safe side don't give your bees options.

 

[joelsoo]

Thanks guys, I had extracted the top honey bound brood box and got 12 kg of honey, 21% but I poured in a few buckets and left in my airing cabinet and the water evaporated to 19%. Gonna jar up this evening.

Extracted frames placed back to hive above supers, and this weekend the plan is to move empty combs to the bottom brood box so queen have more space to lay, swap bottom brood box's remaining honey bound frames up to this 2nd brood box (not extracting) seperate both brood box with QE, and let them use the 2nd brood box as super for the summer season.

Hope I don't see any more queen cells. Was told even if its a newly mated queen, the signs of queen cells may be that the colony might not be happy with her performance or something and hence making new queen cells to requeen, or they are lack of space Sue to honey bound brood frames. I am hoping for the latter hence giving them the empty frames, in hope I don't see any more QC after that.

Would be annoying if they they are not happy with this 2020 queen and wanna requeen her...


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[jenkinsbrynmair]

Extracted frames placed back to hive above supers, and this weekend the plan is to move empty combs to the bottom brood box

Why not just put them straight in the bottom box in the first place?

 

[joelsoo]

Why not just put them straight in the bottom box in the first place?

Ah, it was extracted Monday night, and following day I was rushing off to work on Tuesday morning and hence just lifted lid and crown board quickly and placed it above to let the bees clean it.

And then Wednesday, Thursday was bad weather in London, today Friday working again and weather looks gloomy today too... Next available is weekend hence say this weekend to do it..



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[jenkinsbrynmair]

just seal them up and store them wet - the bees will only fill them again if youb leave them on top.

 

[joelsoo]

just seal them up and store them wet - the bees will only fill them again if youb leave them on top.

i'd swap some more honey bound frames at the 1st brood box below with the extracted combs, so the queen got some more space to lay. then i'd prob just leave the brood box as super as the 2 supers above are half full now so they need more space to store food again for summer crop.

 

[Finman]

i'd swap some more honey bound frames at the 1st brood box below with the extracted combs, so the queen got some more space to lay. then i'd prob just leave the brood box as super as the 2 supers above are half full now so they need more space to store food again for summer crop.

Give foundations above the brood area . You will beed vew combs. Or super combs too.

The hive need combs, where they dry up nectar. It does not work so, that you have brood and half filled super. Bees store nectar into brood combs if they dl not have enough supers

 

[Finman]

When you add extracted or empty frames into the hive, put them between brood and honey frames. So bees have feeling, that they have enough space in the hive.

Second reason is, thst natural order is from down to top: pollen stores,brood,nectar stores and rippen honey.

 

[joelsoo]

When you add extracted or empty frames into the hive, put them between brood and honey frames. So bees have feeling, that they have enough space in the hive.



Second reason is, thst natural order is from down to top: pollen stores,brood,nectar stores and rippen honey.

Noted. Thank you!

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