Number of frames for super?

[Beefriendly]

Manley frames are not suitable here, but being propolised together is just a minor annoyance compared to the other reasons.

Please elaborate further......
I found them prone to exploding in the extractor (radial) as bees were drawing domes of foundation leaving the edges where the foundation is attached to the frame thin and unsupported.
After I've been to the heather I have well over a 100 Manley frames going free to anyone wishing to collect or they go to the bonfire

 

[colinc]

Please elaborate further......

I found them prone to exploding in the extractor as bees were drawing domes of foundation leaving the edges where the foundation is attached to the frame thin and unsupported.

After I've been to the heather I have well over a 100 Manley frames going free to anyone wishing to collect or they go to the bonfire

That will be some fire.


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[Poly Hive]

All I can say is when I was commercial the swing basket extractor worked very well with them and they are ideal for the CC.

I don't now have any other super frame.

PH

 

[garypcook]

Personally I use both Hoffmans & Manleys - and much prefer Manleys - although I tend to use 8 or 9 Manleys and 1 or 2 Hoffmans in a super to give a little space free to lever the Manleys apart rather than jam 10 in.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Please elaborate further......

They won't go through the automatic uncapping machine.

Also because we don't use any wired shallow foundation the combs would blow out during extraction of heather honey as the combs would not be up against the quarter mesh.

 

[Erichalfbee]

These ten frames came out in one block
I am just on a tea break from making up frames, I can make twenty eight super frames so one super will end up dummied to eight. Moving on to deep frames now because I'm out of shallows.

Tell me!
I have two colonies in double 14x12 for that very reason. They started as unites and there was no way I could do anthyng with frames but put the food up top. What a crazy year.
AND on top of it I wasn’t quick enough to take the bait hives down and there are now bees in one. Sigh!

 

[Beefriendly]

All I can say is when I was commercial the swing basket extractor worked very well with them

Because of the extra honey they hold?

A good Nat super is 35 to 40 lbs ish.

 

[Millet]

11 SN4 seems to work for me so i will not experiment..

 

[Beefriendly]

They won't go through the automatic uncapping machine.
.

Won't fit in my old abelo 20 frame extractor either...newer versions are fine.
Currently always expect to loose all heather comb to cut comb or squeeze. But please explain...are you extracting heather combs radially after loosening? Or just after uncapping?

 

[mickbees23]

Please elaborate further......
I found them prone to exploding in the extractor (radial) as bees were drawing domes of foundation leaving the edges where the foundation is attached to the frame thin and unsupported.
After I've been to the heather I have well over a 100 Manley frames going free to anyone wishing to collect or they go to the bonfire

I will have them if you are getting rid. I quite like Manley frames. Happy to come and get them if you put the kettle on ;-)

 

[mike99]

Your queen will most likely lay in the super as soon as it is drawn ....if you don't add a QE.
Stick one on and make sure she is below, it is no detriment to them drawing out super foundation.
Start with 11 is the usual advice. You'll notice they will draw the center frames first, when these are nearly fully drawn you can, if you wish, move them to outer edges and replace them with the undrawn edge frames.

Hi. I checked yesterday and they are indeed drawing out the middle frame of the Super now. I confirmed that the Queen was still on a frame in the BB and added the QX.
I noted that there were three frames of Brood and sandwiched between two frames of stores. Now that they are drawing the Super frames out, will they move the stores up? I slightly bruised the store frames to encourage them but I wasn't sure if that is the correct action?

 

[Beefriendly]

Now that they are drawing the Super frames out, will they move the stores up?

Rarely in my experience and particularly this summer. I've got brood boxes honey bound with plenty of room in supers. But this has been an extraordinary year weather wise.

 

[Millet]

Hi. I checked yesterday and they are indeed drawing out the middle frame of the Super now. I confirmed that the Queen was still on a frame in the BB and added the QX.
I noted that there were three frames of Brood and sandwiched between two frames of stores. Now that they are drawing the Super frames out, will they move the stores up? I slightly bruised the store frames to encourage them but I wasn't sure if that is the correct action?

As per Beefriendly this is a weird year, my hives that are on double brood are packed with honey in the brood boxes, one hive has nearly filled both brood boxes with very little room for the Queen to lay and they have five supers on with one of them being empty..
What i am going to do at the weekend is sacrifice some of the honey in the brood boxes... if it is not capped it is still getting extracted as the Queen needs some room to lay..

If you have any capped honey frames with no brood in your brood box get them extracted and get the extracted frames back in the brood box ASAP.. this is where several hives come in handy so you can swap frames around...but this year all the hives are the same..

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have been robbing store frames in the broods for weeks and replacing them with foundation.These have been drawn in days and filled with.......................................................................HONEY!

 

[Millet]

I have been robbing store frames in the broods for weeks and replacing them with foundation.These have been drawn in days and filled with.......................................................................HONEY!

I wonder how folk are doing with top bar hives. ? ..

 

[mike99]

As per Beefriendly this is a weird year, my hives that are on double brood are packed with honey in the brood boxes, one hive has nearly filled both brood boxes with very little room for the Queen to lay and they have five supers on with one of them being empty..
What i am going to do at the weekend is sacrifice some of the honey in the brood boxes... if it is not capped it is still getting extracted as the Queen needs some room to lay..

If you have any capped honey frames with no brood in your brood box get them extracted and get the extracted frames back in the brood box ASAP.. this is where several hives come in handy so you can swap frames around...but this year all the hives are the same..

Can I move the frames with the stores on towards the ends of the BB if there isn't brood in them? I have spare BB frames that I can replace them with. Otherwise, I can get another BB and install it below and swap them around it that would work. Alternatively I could get hold another Hive. I can either get another National or I might be able to get a cheap Worm Hive from the Association but they are supposed to be a pain.
I am not sure if the frames with honey on are capped but if they are, how would I extract the honey? I haven't explored this activity yet.
I will talk to my mentor.
So, to summarise)
a) move the stores frames to the end and move foundation frames in their place
b) move the stores frames to another BB.
c) extract the honey from the frames by putting new frames in their place.
As you can see, I am very confused.

 

[Beefriendly]

As you can see, I am very confused.

If it's any help so are most of us.
Welcome to the world of beekeeping.
Every year throws a few curved balls. This unrelenting hot weather is causing problems.
I've never ever had to put clearer boards on brood boxes before.
Sorry, I know it's not an answer to your question... but I don't know the answer to your question.
As Erica has already said replacing capped brood frames with undrawn foundation simply gets you more honey.
If anyone knows THE answer please shout it out!

 

[Jambo]

At the weekend, on one colony I had two outer brood frames full of capped honey. I scraped them with an uncapping fork and put them in the middle of the nest. Checked tonight and they are in the process of being emptied. Wet empty super frames I returned now have weirdly sporadically capped cells, different to how they normally do it. However they aren't normally moving ripe honey around so I guess that is why.

If I had easy access to an extractor which would take brood frames I would do that though!

 

[Millet]

Can I move the frames with the stores on towards the ends of the BB if there isn't brood in them? I have spare BB frames that I can replace them with. Otherwise, I can get another BB and install it below and swap them around it that would work. Alternatively I could get hold another Hive. I can either get another National or I might be able to get a cheap Worm Hive from the Association but they are supposed to be a pain.
I am not sure if the frames with honey on are capped but if they are, how would I extract the honey? I haven't explored this activity yet.
I will talk to my mentor.
So, to summarise)
a) move the stores frames to the end and move foundation frames in their place
b) move the stores frames to another BB.
c) extract the honey from the frames by putting new frames in their place.
As you can see, I am very confused.

I can try to help but the bit i highlighted in blue makes me think you will not listen to me..

 

[mike99]

I can try to help but the bit i highlighted in blue makes me think you will not listen to me..

Thanks Steve, I will listen to anyone. I have come to realise that I know 0.001% compared to most people on this forum. That was why I joined.
I will try and see if bruising the comb has helped. I guess time is needed. They have started drawing the super frames out. They might start to store it up there.
I just don’t want the laying to be restricted. This afternoon there were probably more bees flying about at the front of the hive than ever before so it must be getting stronger. I will give them a bit more time to settle.