How many boxes?

[Gaz1]

I live in Cornwall, bees are local mongrels just wondering really how people decide on what to leave on all year round ?brood box, brood and half etc. Is it as simple as if there's brood and bees leave it on?

My 8 brood frames now have an horse shoe of capped honey around the brood with nothing in the super (just foundation) thinking of leaving it on in the hope they will use it for ivy which I have miles of then just leave it on top over winter? Been reading stuff on swapping Boxes around and all and now abit confused

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It looks like a single brood box will be enough for them - you may be putting a winter feed on at the end of next month and they will backfill the brood frames as the cluster contracts for the winter - don't set too much store on the cry of autumn ivy will be ample to see them through and that great big cavernous space of undrawn franes above them will be more of a curse than a blessing, think about taking it off.

 

[Gaz1]

Thanks
so should I just take it off now? And save them the trouble of drawing it out for nothing? If I see that horse shoe of honey shrink that's when to feed? How many frames roughly am I aiming to see with stores? Should the box be full of stores around the cluster at the minute it goes HBBBBBBBH and one drawn empty comb at the back

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Thanks
so should I just take it off now? And save them the trouble of drawing it out for nothing? If I see that horse shoe of honey shrink that's when to feed? How many frames roughly am I aiming to see with stores? Should the box be full of stores around the cluster at the minute it goes HBBBBBBBH and one drawn empty comb at the back

If they are in the super and working it, leave it for now - a bit early to start thinking of winter preps. See what happens in a few weeks time

 

[Gaz1]

Ideal cheers