HM Only Laying On 3 Frames

[VixyB]

Hi,

I am a bit worried that HM is only laying on 3 frames and is then surrounded by pollen and honey. The frames are as follows (Frame 1 is at the back and frame 11 is at the front of the hive):

Frame 1 - Undrawn foundation
Frame 2 - Partly drawn comb (fairly new development)
Frame 3 - Pollen and honey stores
Frame 4 - Pollen and honey stores
Frame 5 - Eggs and sealed brood
Frame 6 - Larvae and sealed brood (not sure if there are eggs)
Frame 7 - Larvae and sealed brood (not sure if there are eggs)
Frame 8 - Pollen stores
Frame 9 - Honey stores
Frame 10 - Partly drawn comb (fairly new development)
Frame 11 - Undrawn foundation

So, where they are drawing foundation, presumably that is for more stores?

If anyone can advise me on whether HM is laying on enough frames and whether I can encourage her to lay on more, that would be really helpful.

Also, whether I should reduce down the frames of undrawn foundation and replace with dummy boards or insulation for the winter?

Many thanks
Vicky

 

[Erichalfbee]

For a start I would put frame 2 between 4/5 and frame 10 between 7/8, wait a week and see what happens. If the frames are drawn and the ,queen has laid them up then you can take one of the outside frames and put them right in the middle of the brood nest.
If that gets drawn and laid up then repeat with the one remaining frame.

 

[VixyB]

Thank you for the reply! I will try that at the weekend and see what happens. Presumably I move them back out if it doesn't work?

 

[Erichalfbee]

No. They are much more likely to draw those first two frames if they are put between the brood nest and the store frames. That's the usual set up.

 

[dn170221]

Are you feeding them at the minute?

 

[VixyB]

Yes - I put a feeder on last weekend to start building their stores up for winter.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Looks like they're filling up all available space with syrup - I'd lay off it a while if i were you give the queen a chance to lay. Plenty of time to think about winter stores when we're a bit closer to winter - it's still summer you know

 

[Erichalfbee]

Are you feeding them at the minute?

Never thought to ask. Yes, agree with JBM plenty of time left to feed.

 

[VixyB]

Okay, will take the feeder off when I visit at the weekend, move the frames around as suggested and see what happens.

Thank you all!

 

[user 6228]

Okay, will take the feeder off when I visit at the weekend, move the frames around as suggested and see what happens.

Thank you all!

Not knowing the part of newbury you are in, but quite alot of it is close to woodland and hedges with lots of Ivy that your bees will want to collect and store. And that ivy is yet to flower.
Up by Greenham & Crookham common there is even heather in flower at the moment.

 

[Finman]

.
When hive has now only 3 brood frames, it needs only 3-4 frames for winter.
If it has mesh floor,the hive is too cold and too few bees to the whole box.
It has now enough winter stores..... I think that hive has been too cold to make more brood.

Start has been small and still small colony. Still 4 undrawn foundations.

 

[VixyB]

Not knowing the part of newbury you are in, but quite alot of it is close to woodland and hedges with lots of Ivy that your bees will want to collect and store. And that ivy is yet to flower.
Up by Greenham & Crookham common there is even heather in flower at the moment.

Thank you for the local knowledge! I have never paid much attention to what is in flower and when - until now!!!

 

[Mrs Shoot]

I have had this with a new queen in one of my hive. It is a double brood box with a super, lots of bees. Plenty of stores in top box and super. The new queen spent her 1st 4 weeks just laying the back 4 frames in the top brood box, with one at the edge with stores. I keep making sure that the next frame to the brood (towards the center of the hive) is drawn and empty, but she's not interested at all. She has now discovered there is a downstairs and has now laid up the back 4 frames of the bottom box as well in the last week or so. Maybe she is getting the idea now

 

[REDWOOD]

Thank you for the local knowledge! I have never paid much attention to what is in flower and when - until now!!!

That is an essential part of beekeeping

 

[Finman]

I have had this with a new queen in one of...plenty of stores... Maybe she is getting the idea now

It sounds that queen did not have enough laying space because brood box had too much stores.... Nothing to do with idea, unless with beekeeper's idea.

Brood frames should be in one bunch.

 

[mbc]

Looks like they're filling up all available space with syrup - I'd lay off it a while if i were you give the queen a chance to lay. Plenty of time to think about winter stores when we're a bit closer to winter - it's still summer you know

I disagree. Now is a good time for bees to draw foundation and, unless there is significantly more late forage there than I have here, feeding will be necessary to get the foundation drawn.
There are two circumstances to be feeding at this time of year:
1. if they are very light to avoid starvation
2. building nucs into full colonies
The op's situation falls into category 2. as there is still foundation to be drawn. If there are good numbers of bees it can be a good scheme to pop one of the undrawn frames into the middle of the nest so they'll build the comb and immediately make it part of the nest.

 

[beeno]

If there are good numbers of bees it can be a good scheme to pop one of the undrawn frames into the middle of the nest so they'll build the comb and immediately make it part of the nest.

But did not dare to suggest it! Keeps them busy too and hopefully abandons any thoughts of swarming!

 

[VixyB]

So could/should I move all three empty frames at once? Two so that they are between brood and food and then one in the middle?

 

[Finman]

.
Do not devide brood area with other frames.
Keep pollen stores beside brood.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

So could/should I move all three empty frames at once? Two so that they are between brood and food and then one in the middle?

Move the undrawn frames between the brood and the stores as Erichalfbee said in post #2 see what they do with these first. Still maintain that feeding too much at this point is counter productive