No stores mid July

[nicholaskeene]

I have a new colony from a split in May. They are apparently doing well and filling 9 frames of brood. Put a super with foundation on 2 weeks ago but there's still no sign of them drawing it out and no stores in brood box either. Anything I can do to stimulate them to draw out supers or make honey in brood box?

 

[WalnutTreeBees]

The summer nectar flows are coming to an end now so the bees won't draw much new comb. You might be lucky and have the hive near some balsam? (found along rivers/damp areas) otherwise it's dribs and drabs until the ivy flowers. Not really warm enough for clover currently.

They will need feeding to avoid starvation if there's nothing in the brood box. They will also draw combs if you feed them, but there's no point them drawing a super and filling it with syrup. If I were you, I would take the super off, go to double brood (with a new brood box underneath) and feed them. That way you should have some spare brood frames for next season.

 

[enrico]

They will never draw the super if they have no stores. They may seem as though they are doing well but watch for starvation.

 

[Ian123]

I’d suggest taking the super off and feeding. Brood will start reducing and they should start back filling the empty cells. They’ll only make honey if there’s an income/forage what’s in your area?.. it’s entirely likely there won’t be much until the ivy flowers.

I’d feed a couple of litres of week syrup and monitor/ check next inspection.

What treatments are you going to use, if there’s likely no flow on then you could treat as soon as you like.

 

[ericbeaumont]

take the super off

taking the super off

watch for starvation

no stores in brood box

This info. should ring alarm bells, Nick, so I'd get feeding and treating and forget about drawing comb beyond the BB. What of the other 2 BB frames? Are they drawn? If not, slot them into the brood nest, alternating with drawn.

When a main flow turns up and finishes early (as it did) then late summer and early autumn will be a risky time. Your job is to get them to max out the BB and no more.