newbee needs your opinion

[barry]

hi all, got my bees 3 weeks ago they covered 9 0ut of 11 frames put a super on them without QE to encourage them up, worked ok. went on hols last week so before going checked them. covering 10 and half frames and started drawing super. found queen so put QE on and went on hols. 9 days later still on 10 1/2 frames no action on the further with the super. seen a few eggs and other brood but seems that as new bees appear they are using the cells for stores instead of super. worried queen will run out of room to lay. your thoughts please o wise ones, is this a potential problem or is it something they will sort out eventually

cheers
barry

 

[ENZO]

I would probably be inclined to remove the Queen Excluder, bees don't really like to draw a complete box of foundation this time of year, if you have a mesh floor you could put some sort of insulation on top of the crownboard to keep the super temperature up.

The queen excluder can sometimes split the hive up and bees can be slow to move up into the super, this time of year, you really want them work unrestricted and get that super drawn.

Enzo.

 

[barry]

took QE out yesterday to see how they do over the next week, will try insulating the super as well. Just wondering if where we have placed our hive is ok, its situated in a clearing in a wooded area, plenty of bramble flowers and the usual woodland plants, will there be enough for them to forage from,

 

[Silly Bee]

took QE out yesterday to see how they do over the next week, will try insulating the super as well. Just wondering if where we have placed our hive is ok, its situated in a clearing in a wooded area, plenty of bramble flowers and the usual woodland plants, will there be enough for them to forage from,

Should be fine

 

[barry]

looks like a waiting game to see how they do, just a bit anxious as its our first hive , don't remember being this bad when we had our kids

 

[MuswellMetro]

hi all, got my bees 3 weeks ago , no action on the further with the super. seen a few eggs and other brood but seems that as new bees appear they are using the cells for stores instead of super. worried queen will run out of room to lay. your thoughts please o wise ones, is this a potential problem or is it something they will sort out eventually

cheers
barry

Dont worry, they are Bees, they confuse us all

i am is NW7 north london by the M25 so we have had the same dry weather as Essex

My bees are struggling to forage and most have also stoped drawing foundation in supers...just a little prep work on the new super on those near the centre of the super. they are also not capping existing honey as the flow is not strong, the brambles are finish, grass brown and nowt is flowering except Hebe...and unlike the wet west of england, we dont have much if any Himlaleyan Balsam to bulk up the flow

So your bees will not draw unless this batch of rain, bring new forage...they dont want to waste honey....and the honey in the brood will i suspect be nectar and a couple of days inclemnt weather and it will be cleared...or are you feeding syrup?

 

[barry]

I take it from your name that you come from muswell hill, we used to live in Enfield but moved to Colchester 8 years ago

 

[Midland Beek]

but seems that as new bees appear they are using the cells for stores instead of super.

The season is over in many districts. I mean, look around you. As the queen reduces her laying so the cells get back-filled with honey.

 

[MuswellMetro]

I take it from your name that you come from muswell hill, we used to live in Enfield but moved to Colchester 8 years ago

Born in Edmonton, now in muswell hill, Bees in Mill Hill

 

[BeeJolly]

This may be a dumb question, but what stops the queen laying in the supers if the QE us removed. We have same problem, but I hesitate to remove QE in case we end up in an awful mess

 

[darrenperrett]

This may be a dumb question, but what stops the queen laying in the supers if the QE us removed. We have same problem, but I hesitate to remove QE in case we end up in an awful mess

Nothing stops the Q laying in the supers but if they`ve started drawing it on the next inspection you can replace the Q/E and any brood will be hatched in three weeks anyway.

Darren.

 

[barry]

there is the possibility the queen will go up into the super and start to lay. when you are ready to put the QE back on make sure the queen is down in the brood chamber, put QE back on and any emerging bees can pass through QE then fingers crossed the cells will be cleaned and used for storage.

 

[BeeJolly]

thanks guys. I thought once a frame had been laid in you couldn't extract honey from it. I will remove my QE should it ever stop raining here