How long till honey is capped?

[Craig1961]

Hi. I added a second super to my hive a week or so ago as the first was quite full and I had lost a swarm.
The bees are not drawing out the second super at all. The first is, as I said, quite full and is getting capped, but is there an average time from filling comb to capping?
I will be investing in a refractometer, but still interested in the time frame.
maybe I should take off the second super (placed under the first) untill more of the first has been capped?

Thanks,
Craig

 

[VEG]

they will only cap it when the moisture content is right.

 

[Poly Hive]

It's an unanswerable question. length of string....

PH

 

[Woeski]

42.....

 

[isc26]

The length of string is easy. An exact measurement is twice as long as it is from one end to the middle.

 

[meidel]

If they are thinking of swarming they may consume all the honey in the full super and go ... which was what happened to one of mine

 

[aberreef]

It depends on the air temperature, type of nectar and moisture etc. Seems to take forever sometimes

 

[oliver90owner]

42.....

Autumn is not that close is it?

they may consume all the honey in the full super and go

They most certainly did not do that in a day! Never yet seen a swarm any where near that heavy!

An exact measurement is twice as long as it is from one end to the middle.

Finding 'the middle' might be more difficult in this instance. Let's face it, the super may never be capped.

In this instance, there are only possibly half the bees now - and as for the weather, the June gap, etc, etc...

RAB

 

[dclewis]

If you're worried that they are not pulling out the 2nd super you could always swap a couple of frames over from the nearly full super into the undrawn one to encourage the bees up. Doesn't help with the capping question but does move some of the bees up and when there's a flow they will then pull out the 2nd super.

 

[Woeski]

RAB,

Clearly not a Douglas Adams fan.
42 is the answer to everything, so clearly must apply in this instance.

 

[mbc]

If my bees swarm then I wouldnt expect them to do anything other than mark time until their new queen is mated and laying, they can then do things in earnest again if conditions allow.

 

[meidel]

eating a super of honey and swarming

well, I don't know how long it took them - I'm not even sure how many of them were at it - I'd demareed them, and I certainly wasn't checking them as they were the bees at the bottom, was only culling QCs in the top brood box, but after I collected the prime swarm I looked at the super and it was empty lol

live and learn - next time, whatever they say, I'm checking the bottom box every week!