QX where amd when to put it come spring

[Apiglen]

Got t my first bees last year, a swarm from a local beekeeper, kept them on a brood and a super and fed them at the end of the season so they have good stores for the winter. Then was told to remove QX, now i'm thinking ahead to next spring. When do I put the QX back ? and where, do I leave the queen a brood and a half or what.

 

[For want of a better word]

The Qx will go on top of the brood chamber(s) and under your first super that will be prepared with foundation ready for the bees to place the golden harvest in.
Some do not use a queen excluder ever!

On your first inspection you may wish to remove the super that was left on with stores from either under or over the brood box for the winter.

Most books will tell you when and how or even why.... or ask another local beekeeper.

 

[JamezF]

The amount of space will suit the bees best is probably best understood by beekeepers local to you. Some may be happy in a single national super, whilst others might do better with more space. If you're really not sure or you're happy that they have the right amount of space, I'd put the QX back under the first super you put on in the spring and see how it goes next year.

If you want to move them into the main brood box on its own, then if the super is at the bottom you might find that you can just remove it. If it's on top then you may need to split the two, brush or shake all the bees off the super combs into the brood chamber, put the QX on and then put the super on top to allow any brood to hatch out.

James

 

[MuswellMetro]

The Qx will go on top of the brood chamber(s) and under your first super that will be prepared with foundation ready for the bees to place the golden harvest in.
Some do not use a queen excluder ever!

On your first inspection you may wish to remove the super that was left on with stores from either under or over the brood box for the winter.

Most books will tell you when and how or even why.... or ask another local beekeeper.

surely he is saying it is on brood and a half already, if it is the QE will need to be above the super then an extra super of foundation put on when the brood has expanded above the QEx

 

[Finman]

.
No one knows what is the size of your colony now and what it is in May.
It is better that you are not in a hury with your excluder. It is not important at all.

- In spring the colony starts brooding in the upper box. You must follow in Spring that the hive has enough food, but it may have too much and it is better to take off food frames.
- And how much the gang occupye frames in spring?

- when colony starts brooding, it takes 6-8 weeks untill it begin to grow.
- Colony has lost bees more and less during winter and spring. The rest of wintered bees will die before colony start to expand.

It is a big difference, do you have 5 frames of bees left after winter or 10 frames.

The upper box may seem full of bees, but when you look in lower box, it may be almost empty.
Let the colony first expand to the lower box before you add a third box on.

If the bees start to expand out from entrance, it is at least the time to give a third box. If lack of space seems bad, I use to give one box to top most and another box the lowest.

When bees are ready to draw new combs, they start to make burr between frames and inner cover.

When bees have drawn half of the foundation box (third) it is time to change the places of first and second box. It mobilize old winter food and the comb cells will be consumed evenly.
.
Bees need expansion space even if they do not get honey from fields. Expansion use to be rapid. You need to add a new box every week.

Now, it depends what your only queen is cabable to lay and how the hive grows.
It is important time to follow and it is time of swarming period.

QE has had no role up to this.

 

[Finman]

.
If you are unsure when to expand the hive in early summer, you may keep a foundation box as lowest in the hive. Bees expand there when they are ready to do it.

When are you able to do the turn over trick with recent brood boxes? The brooding starts in the upper box, and when the lower box is half full brood, you change the places.

The lowest foundation box protect the brood from cold air and is a reserve where to expand.

If you turn over the two brood box, part of brood will be destroyed when the center of brood ball has been forced against cold floor. - who knows what the weathers will be in this week and next week.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Apiglen,

On the assumption that you have the super under the brood box, then there is a good chance that the super will be empty and can be removed at the first inspection. (That's how I over-winter). You will then have bees in one brood box with the crown board on top which is a straight-forward way to start the season. As the colony grows and the colony gets to 6 frames of brood (some wait until there's a little more) you can then consider adding the queen excluder on the brood box with the super over.

If you have super over brood then you'll have to see what's going on in the Spring. A super over brood is often considered a bit messy as you'll have brood in two boxes with different frame sizes. Therfore if there is brood in the super, ensure the queen is in the brood box (a bit of smoke from the top will probably drive her down if you don't want to handle her), put the queen excluder on the brood box and put the super on top. After 3 weeks there will be no brood in the super and it can be used for honey storage.

if you have a hive that is well-fed in the Autumn as it appears you have, then its unlikely that you'll need to feed in the spring unless the weather is poor but heft peroidically before the first inspection to gauge the weight in stores.

As the queen came with a swarm, the chances are that they will swarm again so read up on what to do and you may wish to practice an artificial swarm when no-one is looking or they might think you are a little bit strange. (My Wife has got used to me by now). A pre-requisite is to have spare equipment.

 

[oliver90owner]

As the queen came with a swarm, the chances are that they will swarm again

Quite possible but depends on a few things. You don't know why they were a swarm in the first place; could be that the husbandry was poor, if lost from a 'managed' hive, or it may be a trait of the strain. She is less likely to swarm a second time - my bees would generally supercede before they went again. But one can never be sure...

If your queen was marked, you may know whether she has been superceded in the autumn (many don't inspect, as much, later in the season and are often unaware that supercedure has occurred).

do I leave the queen a brood and a half or what.

Great to be thinking ahead, but impossible to make any sensible recommendations on the information supplied, so far in advance. I suggest you get a few pieces of blank paper and draw out several scenarios - single brood, brood and a half, double brood, etc. along the guide lines given above. Then, in the spring, you go with the appropriate plan - because neither you nor anybody else knows what the circumstances will actually be, come springtime.

RAB

 

[Finman]

.
A plan on paper for one hive how to use excluder! Oliver, do you have a plan to your each hive?
How do you explain to bees this plan that they will accept it.

 

[Finman]

do I leave the queen a brood and a half or what.
[/QUOTE]

If I were an ordinary Englishman, I would use 2 big brood, not brood and half.
2 equal brood frames are flexible to use.

If you do not know, what is good, let the queen first show how much it use frames for brooding.


Apiglen is a first year beekeeper. It is not a bad idea to see and learn what bees do naturally. What ever he does, he will learn about it. And now one miserable excluder takes half year to excplain.
Remember a strategic plan!

 

[oliver90owner]

Finman,

Poster is obviously a new beek (says so), so drawing up different scenarios will help him/her to sort a few of the options during the winter.

I consider that method a very useful tool to find a way through the several potential options which may arise in the spring.

No, I do not have a plan for each hive, but if starting a new and untried procedure it does come in handy at times. Of course, after 59 years of beekeeping, you may now not particularly benefit from such a course of action, your beekeeping routine being very much 'set in stone'.

RAB

 

[Finman]

Finman,

Poster is obviously a new beek (says so), so drawing up different scenarios will help him/her to sort a few of the options during the winter.
RAB

have you taken your pills?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

have you taken your pills?

 

[Finman]

.
Hive plans......

One professional told that they have hives in 10 hive units. All hives are same size, brood box, excluder and four langstroth supers. The 2 guys have 15 minutes time to go throught those 10 hives. They look one hive what it needs and they do the same to all others. They do not enjoy this. This is mere hard work. we take honey off and empty combs instead.

Try this....

 

[sugarbush]

If I had any Queen excluders I would put them in the trash... But I already did that several years ago so I have none.