Out of ideas , any suggestions?

[Bakerbee]

So one of my hives was on 5 frames of brood. It was filling the brood box full of stores and ignoring the super above. I tried putting a frame of honey into the supers to get them up there. I scrapped/bruised the capped honey in the bb to see if they would move it up. Meanwhile i moved some undrawn in from outer frames, to encourage them to draw for further space. Everything i have done has not worked. The foundation moved to give them more space, they have drawn and filled with stores. They still have not moved any stores up and three of the brood frames they are filling with stores as cells become vacant. So now i only have 2 frames of brood in a good pattern and 3 a handful of cells still to emerge but no further laying room. Suggestions greatfully recieved. Thanks.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Drawn super on top no QX. Even then they might not use it if there is little nectar flow. I’ve seen bees bringing in propolis. Winter preps are starting.

 

[Bakerbee]

Yes i forgot to say id removed the qe. Im extracting some frames from another hive this week and will put the wet dupers in there too. Im just concerned sbout how clogged they are for brood space. As it seems each emergence of a new bee they fill it up with stores. Will they rearrange as they need then?

 

[enrico]

Put the supee or another brood box under the brood box they are using.The queen will lay under the stores. I know that is odd but it may work.nno queen excluder
E

 

[beeno]

Yes i forgot to say id removed the qe. Im extracting some frames from another hive this week and will put the wet dupers in there too. Im just concerned sbout how clogged they are for brood space. As it seems each emergence of a new bee they fill it up with stores. Will they rearrange as they need then?

Yes they do which makes you wonder why you do all the work.

 

[Fritillary]

Put the supee or another brood box under the brood box they are using.The queen will lay under the stores. I know that is odd but it may work.nno queen excluder
E

Enrico that sounds wise. I think this is what I should have done here: new queen with plenty of laying space above, brood box having been largely emptied by me - apart from pollen stores - but after she laid up most of the brood box they have swarmed as far as I can see, instead of the queen moving up into supers.

 

[enrico]

Fritillary, you can give them all the space in the world but their main objective is reproduction . The queen laying eggs is not reproduction . That is merely getting a hive strong enough to reproduce. Reproduction is when they swarm and one becomes two ( or three or more!)
We will never stop them swarming, the secret is to control it in such a manner that we keep the bees, an art that even the most experienced bee keeper will never master. We muddle along the best we can. I guess the bees winning occasionally is also a part of nature, making sure that the species spread over a wider area.
Keep trying
E

 

[Beefriendly]

Extract the brood frames and return them empty to the hive.

 

[drex]

Extract the brood frames and return them empty to the hive.

Tried that on mine, and all they did was refill with honey/nectar. I run double brood boxes. Most successful was to move all brood into top box and stores into bottom. They did then move some of the stores up into supers, but they are now again filling up the brood box with stores, even with super space available.
Seems to be a quirk of this hot year, as several have mentioned it.

 

[Beefriendly]

Tried that on mine, and all they did was refill with honey/nectar. I run double brood boxes.

Reduced all my double broods to single brood and made sure it was mainly brood frames or empty frames in the middle...plus added extra supers to replace space. That cured it.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Extract the brood frames and return them empty to the hive.

I've done plenty of that this season. Bees have finally got the message winter is coming and most of the broods are now emptying of honey and filling with brood and pollen

 

[Millet]

I've done plenty of that this season. Bees have finally got the message winter is coming and most of the broods are now emptying of honey and filling with brood and pollen

I have noticed the same..from having super frames jam packed one week and then the next week they are nearly empty..

 

[Swarm]

Drawn super on top no QX. Even then they might not use it if there is little nectar flow. I’ve seen bees bringing in propolis. Winter preps are starting.

Yes indeed they are, my Amm were toffee factories on the weekend, even the nucs, gorgeous smell. The flow has been turned off and the bees are happily rearranging themselves and sealing themselves in.

 

[Wingy]

I thought it was just mine that had found a glue gun. I put a rhombus clearer board under a super on Monday, went back on Tuesday expecting to just pick up the super and replace the roof. No such luck the buggers had already glued it down good and tight.

 

[Bakerbee]

Thanks for the advice. Now ive taken the honey off the supers i shall take your advice and have a rearrange. I will be doing vsrroa control and start feeding for winter, as I noticed yesterday all my hives were light on honey on brood frames. What once had been a lovely capped rainbow has now been eaten into and empty cells where honey should be. I did notice newly laid eggs in a few so possibly honey was moved for laying space, i just wish theyd do it on the very clogged frames of stores instead of at the top of the frames with brood. Our extractor was bought as it said it took commercial brood frames but its going back as they do not fit. Really annoying as i cant crush and strain all their hard work drawing the brood frames this year, so at present am stuck with clogged frames. The perils of buying on ebay. I did pop the wet frames i extracted into this hive thats clogged just to see if that encourages them. Off to hunt for another extractor that doesnt break the bank...

 

[Bakerbee]

I should point out the wet frames are supers so popped them up top to encourage them if it didnt read clear.