How to take off winter stores

[Beemum]

Single national BB came through winter well but didn’t need all the stores I left them. Now has 4 frames of brood all stages and rising, so I’m taking out honey frames (they didn’t need fondant) to make space. Pollen coming in. Do I take off honey frames one at a time or all at once - and if the latter with brood production bring in full swing at what point do they not need them in the BB/will they be ready to make new honey in a super? Or do I add the super at some point soon so they can move the stores up?

Thank you

 

[enrico]

Single national BB came through winter well but didn’t need all the stores I left them. Now has 4 frames of brood all stages and rising, so I’m taking out honey frames (they didn’t need fondant) to make space. Pollen coming in. Do I take off honey frames one at a time or all at once - and if the latter with brood production bring in full swing at what point do they not need them in the BB/will they be ready to make new honey in a super? Or do I add the super at some point soon so they can move the stores up?

Thank you

Add the super. They will move the stores and add new ones. I have three supers on some!

 

[Beemum]

Thanks Enrico - super underneath rather than on top?

 

[enrico]

Thanks Enrico - super underneath rather than on top?

Getting a bit confused. If you have no super on at all then put it above a queen excluder. If you want to give them more room in the brood box then I suggest another brood box but that doesn't sound necessary. Have you any supers on at all, anywhere?

 

[Beemum]

Sorry didn’t mean to confuse you - no supers at all yet, I’d just read elsewhere on forum not to put super above brood at this point because it’s adding extra space that then needs heated…but poss I’ve misunderstood! Will get super sorted this weekend - but for future reference when would another BB be more appropriate than a super? Thank you

 

[Swarm]

During colony build up in Spring, a super doesn't offer laying space for the queen.

 

[Ian123]

Just simply remove honey clogged frames. Personal I’d be wondering why they’ve taken so long to develop and still in a single box!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

and only on four frames!!

 

[jeff33]

I have had to demaree 2 dble brood already. My weakest hive is on 8 frames I think.
A hive on 4 frames of bias at this time of the year would be requeened or united asap.

 

[Beemum]

Because we’re half way up a fell and were still having frost until a week ago…

 

[Ian123]

Because we’re half way up a fell and were still having frost until a week ago…

We get it and I did look at your location. But even so they are small!

 

[Beemum]

Size isn’t everything

 

[jeff33]

Size isn’t everything

I guess its all a matter of perspective and it depends what you want to get out of your bees? probably not honey though

 

[Beemum]

‘Scuse me…I’ve had half a dozen Kilner jars’ full so far…not bad for my first year I didn’t think?!

 

[enrico]

Just to clarify
Everything below the queen excluder is for the queen to lay eggs in. Some prolific laying queen's with good conditions may need more than one brood box but don't worry about that at the moment. It sounds as though your queen hadn't been laying to full potential because your brood box is still stuffed with stores. That could lead to an early swarm so be careful. Put a super over the queen excluder now so that they can put any new stores in that and hopefully move some up. If you have some spare brood frames then take a couple of store frames out of the brood box next to the brood and replace them with empty frames ( with foundation or drawn comb if you have it) . That will let the queen expand. It is a fine line between giving too much room when the weather is cold and too little for the colony to get bigger but the queen cannot lay in cells full of honey so you need to give her more room. Keep the frames of stores you remove for autumn feeding. Unless they are all their honey and no sugar feed in which case you can eat it yourself!
Hope this is clear and if not then please ask.we all have to learn.

 

[Beemum]

Thank you - will swap more brood frames for foundation (done 3 so far) to give her more room…I am learning as you say, and hopefully in time to prevent a swarm…I’ll check at the weekend and replace a couple more frames. Stores are all honey so I’ll fill a few more jars; do I need to leave the bees any honey in the BB or will what they put in the super be enough whilst they’re expanding so fast?

 

[drex]

Foundation does not quickly provide space to lay. I was in a similar position, having moved hives 300 miles to vastly different forage. They were slow to get going. I scraped cappings of stores and they soon consumed it, as they grew I put on a super, bruised more stores and started to give Foundation. Queen quickly laid up the newly empty frames. They built up nicely .

 

[Beemum]

Thank you - this forum is so helpful I am learning loads!

 

[North End Bees]

Thank you - will swap more brood frames for foundation (done 3 so far) to give her more room…I am learning as you say, and hopefully in time to prevent a swarm…I’ll check at the weekend and replace a couple more frames.

Don't replace too many frames at once. Just one directly either side of the brood nest and add more as they expand.

Don't eat the honey just yet. Depending on local forage, you may have a June gap and end up having to feed them!

You mention pollen coming in. What is the nectar flow like at the moment where you are?

 

[Beemum]

Nectar flow is ok but is mostly trees as daffodils have gone over and not many spring ground flowers yet to replace them.