In need of a plan

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Griffo

House Bee
Joined
Jun 15, 2013
Messages
213
Reaction score
8
Location
Mold
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
4
I have a colony on brood and a half, with 2 supers on which contain a mixture of capped and uncapped and are no longer filling up, so I would like to take them off pretty soon so I can get on with some varroa treatment. The brood and a half is chock full of brood but with little stores, so how is this for a plan? Remove supers and extract what I can as honey, then extract the remainder and feed back in a rapid feeder followed up with some strong syrup until the hive weight starts to build up. Comments appreciated as always.
 
Instead of extracting the honey you want to feed back, put the frames above the crown board with the extracted "wet" frames and then they should draw it down into the brood box.
 
Yes, same here.
I put my uncapped frames in a super under the brood box and leave it there till spring when it's invariably empty.
 
just extracted over a super of uncapped frames this evening - shake test was OK but I thought I'd give the refractometer a spin out as well - all under 19% most well under 18.

Only another 20 odd supers to look at now - I'll do them at the 'traditional' time next month but probably a lot will stay with the bees.
 
To quote RAB, they only cap them when they are full, just because they are uncapped doesn't mean they are not 'ripe'. I test with refractometer. If they are close they get extracted. A small amount above water level will mix with loads below it to little effect.
The rest go below brood box to be taken as stores now flow is over. They will ripen it in time for winter and saves me feeding too much if at all. If it is still there next spring I will have it then!
E
 
By tomorrow evening, I'll have two supers (with 20 extracted frames in total).
Would you put both supers under the brood box?
Thanks
 
By tomorrow evening, I'll have two supers (with 20 extracted frames in total).
Would you put both supers under the brood box?
Thanks

If you have extracted it all - no need, seal them up 'wet' in a strong plastic bag and store them somewhere secure but cold for the winter.
 

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