Over-wintering spare bars/combs

[JustAddBees]

Hello again,

I inspected my top bar hive yesterday and noticed they were already beginning to group up in the cooler weather. Consequently, there were one or two empty combs. If I use my follower board to reduce the size of the hive so that it's easier for them to regulate their temperature in the cooler weather, how should I store the spare combs/bars? I'm conscious that they're more delicate than framed combs.

Thanks

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[pargyle]

Leave the spare combs in there and dummy up outside of them ... there's still time for them to fill these combs with Ivy honey and if they don't then feed them a couple of gallons of 2:1 syrup ... obviously, if they have already got enough honey stored in there for winter it may not be necessary to feed them - depends how many combs of stores they have ?

Either way, honeycomb is a pretty good insulator.

The bees usually know what they are doing ...

Is you TBH insulated yet for winter .. if they are clustering this early in the autumn it may be that your hive is a bit cold ? You're only a few miles East of me and my bees in their poly hives are not showing any signs of clustering at night even ?

 

[JustAddBees]

Thanks pargyle. I'm ashamed to say I haven't yet insulated the hive. With the warm weather I hadn't prioritised it, but I have a plan and will be enacting it this coming weekend.

With regards to feeding, last week's inspection they also looked low on stores so I decided to give them some syrup setting as the weather has turned but they aren't taking it (checked this afternoon).Like you say, they must know what they are doing...

Any tips on mixing 2:1? I found it difficult to dissolve fully.

Thanks again, Sam

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[enrico]

I pour 1.7 litres of boiling water onto 6 lbs of sugar in a large pan. I apply heat for a couple of minutes until the liquid goes clear. I immediately turn the heat off and stir for another few minutes and all the sugar is dissolved. It pours nicely into two four pint plastic milk bottles.
E

 

[JustAddBees]

Ok it's the additional heat I was lacking. I did consider it but wasn't sure I should. Thanks enrico

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