Overwintering and number of Brood Boxes/Supers

[Eddie_H]

I have a brood box and super on. And I’m just wondering if the total space is too big?

Should it be condensed to a brood box only?

Or will the bees be fine clustering no matter how many boxes are on?

 

[drex]

What type of hive and how strong are the colonies? What was in the boxes last time you looked and how much of each. Cannot give a sensible answer without knowing.

 

[birdsandbees]

What type of hive and how strong are the colonies? What was in the boxes last time you looked and how much of each. Cannot give a sensible answer without knowing.

if the Super is full and the colony strong then you could leave it where it is and add some insulation above to help retain warmth/reduce condensation, the other option is to 'nadir' the honey and stick it under the brood box, but make sure that they don't get robbed if you do.

 

[Erichalfbee]

No point in putting the super under just to make the bees move the honey up into the brood if you are leaving the stores for the bees anyway.
If the colony is strong with lots of bees in the super just take out the QX and leave as is.

 

[Eddie_H]

What type of hive and how strong are the colonies? What was in the boxes last time you looked and how much of each. Cannot give a sensible answer without knowing.

National.

Colony fairly strong with good numbers in brood box. Not a massive number in Super though

Super has 4/5 full frames of honey. With some unsealed in a couple other Frames..

 

[drex]

I'm with Dani, above. Mine are still bringing in nectar. I have no idea of your weather in Ireland though.

 

[Eddie_H]

No point in putting the super under just to make the bees move the honey up into the brood if you are leaving the stores for the bees anyway.
If the colony is strong with lots of bees in the super just take out the QX and leave as is.

I have the super above the brood box.

And now that I’ve just typed that... I’ve just realised that I have two broods, not a brood and a super

God I’m an awful eejit

 

[enrico]

So.., not sure which BB has the most stores but I would leave them as they are now.
By the way......easy mistake with a roof covering the top box!
E

 

[Eddie_H]

Upper B.B. would probably shade it for stores. Difficult to add up, but upper box would have more full frames of honey.

 

[Swarm]

Leave them as they are.