Prep for Winter questions...

[Beverlyp24]

Hi everyone,

First full year this year and have three hives. I did do the course at our local association and have a mentor but he is currently in hospital so feeling a little on my own at present.

Been reading lots of threads on here and as such decided to move the half full super left on each to the bottom below the brood box. Had some problems and have questions re two of the hives please.

1. Paynes poly hive: Super would not fit on top of the poly floor, it left a gap, so ended up putting it back on top of the brood box. The super is 2/3 full of honey, so is it ok to leave this on top of the brood over winter? Queen excluder has been removed and feeding 2/1 syrup. Also treating with Apiguard.

2. National wooden hive: This is the strongest hive and had brood and a half, then QE, followed by a half full super, we were leaving for the bees. We have put the half full super on the hive floor, followed by the brood and a half and removed the QE. The bees were not happy. In fact, understatement, they were very cross! Was this the wrong thing to do? Really worried we might have damaged the queen, what a disaster that would be.

We didn't remove frames from the actual brood box, but the half part of the two brood boxes is full of honey. Should we still feed with syrup? I am thinking yes as they could take it down and store it in the half full super at the bottom?

Thanks for taking the time to read and thank you so much in advance for any suggestions or criticism... Just want to learn and do the best for the bees.

 

[user 6228]

camberley could mean a lot of woodland and therefore ivy. I would assume you are in the middle of a very strong ivy flow at the moment (in north Hampshire the hive is roaring with ivy honey being ripened). Your task for the moment is to ensure your queen has sufficient space to produce sufficient winter bees. You will need to decide if you have sufficient store after the Ivy flow has ended. Remember your polyhive may need less stores than the wooden national.

 

[Swarm]

I would advise nadiring only uncapped frames and earlier. I think it's a lot of work for the bees to shift all this ripened honey up into the brood chamber, personally I'd have harvested it as you are intending to feed anyway. Better not to mix syrup and honey IMO.
Your brood and a half I would have removed the half full super and fed the rest.
Nadiring your paynes poly means cutting the location lugs off the floor and the super will fit or better still make an under floor entrance and ditch the bulky poly floor.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Next time you want to put super frames under a Paynes box use a wooden super. It fits a treat

 

[Beverlyp24]

Thanks so much for the replies so far. More to think about and yes, we are in the middle of an area of woodland!

Thanks again!

 

[pargyle]

Take the super off and extract the honey before it gets Ivy honey in it - otherwise it will set like concrete. With a Paynes 14 x 12 and the current ivy flow they will backfill the brood box with enough honey to see them through the winter - if you are worried then a few litres of 2:1 Sugar syrup to top them up will be enough. Don't bother putting the super back on or trying to nadir it .. unecessary with 14 x 12.

I put an empty super on top of the crown board and put at least 50mm of Kingspan in it as top insulation and then the roof on top - great for the bees.

Because of the locating lugs you can't put a poly super under the brood box but I've not found the need. Not lost a colony over winter yet - I'm in Fareham so not a long way away from you.

 

[user 6228]

Take the super off and extract the honey before it gets Ivy honey in it -

that boat sailed a week ago

 

[SavvySalli]

Sorry, very newbee here but what's "nadiring"? I don't think I've heard of that before.

 

[Erichalfbee]

As far as beekeeping is concerned it usually refers to putting a shallow (a super) under the brood box. Often it's done to enable the bees to take uncapped stores at the end of harvest up into the brood box. Some leave the box till Spring, others take it away when it's empty