no bees in my super

[bluesman]

hi folks -my one hive has honey in the supers but the second hive although ive tried to attract the girls up to the super with sugar water theyve refused- i would like to know would it be o.k to take two frames of honey out of first hive and put in second hive or will this cause cross infection or disease ? bluseman

 

[plumberman]

It depends on your local conditions, but chances are the bees are not bringing in sufficient forage to need to store it in a super.

The season is drawing to a close, and you should be concentrating on removal of supers, varroa treatment and making sure that the bees are filling the brood boxes with sufficient nectar/feed to ensure that they can make it through the winter.

 

[Hivemaker.]

i would like to know would it be o.k to take two frames of honey out of first hive and put in second hive or will this cause cross infection or disease ? bluseman

Yes it will, if the hive you take them from is diseased.

 

[BeeNice]

Hi
You don't say how long these bees have been hived or whether the frames have been drawn. If the frames are not drawn then I believe it's getting to late in the year to ask the bees to draw frames and fill them. If you have drawn frames then take off the QX and give the bees free range, I don't think you will get a honey harvest from this hive and you may have to think about feeding over the winter.
regards
Steven

 

[Swarm]

Bluesman,
They've probably taken the solution down into the BB. If they've not ventured into the super (foundation or comb?) by now I'd remove it and let them stock the BB for Winter.

 

[oliver90owner]

First questions would be : Is a queen excluder fitted and, if so, can the bees get though it?

RAB

 

[drstitson]

i agree with plumberman.

most people (those not on heather) have either removed supers and are getting on with treating and feeding OR are about to.

if you intend to get them to fill the super with syrup for winter then that's a different matter and as rab says - is the QE ok? if aiming for this approach just remove the QE to assist access.

 

[bluesman]

no honey in my supers con't.......

brilliant advice from you all as usual -i forgot to tell u ive left it late to treat because my bees are with the heather and the heather is blooming.

shall i still let them have the honey now from the heather for themselves?

when you say take QX away to give them room does that mean a super without frames ? and if it is with the frames left in -will that mean my super will become BB next year which i was trying to avoid 1 1/2 BB

THANKS ALL FOR GETTIN BACK SO QUICKLY

 

[plumberman]

No - just remove the QX. Just remember that if they are with the heather and it is blooming does not automatically mean that the heather is yielding.

Frankly, unless this a powerful colony (I am assuming not because you are on single brood) I would forget any notions of a honey crop.

I can't see that you mentioned whether your super is undrawn foundation or just empty comb. If the latter and on narrow spacers I might be inclined to leave it on and get the extra expansion space in the spring. The bees can fill this up either with any heather, or more likely with the feed that you will provide. 1.5 brood is a bind, but most people (?) on this forum feel that single brood is not sufficient for the strains of bees around these days.

 

[bluesman]

thanks plumberman thats been a great help -i think i will go for 1.5 brood and get a strong colony -and leave any stores for them plus feed if necessary -thanks again -bluesman

 

[Midland Beek]

It depends on your local conditions, but chances are the bees are not bringing in sufficient forage to need to store it in a super..

Spot-on. If there ain't no flowers; there ain't no nectar.