Running out of equipment as bees are not capping supers

[user 3509]

In the last few weeks our bees have been bringing nectar and pollen back like here is no tomorrow - maybe they know something we don't!!! - but our problem now is that on most of our 12 colonies we already have 4 supers, the frames are full, but they are just not making any attempt to cap the frames and the shake test shows that they are not ready for extraction. We are fast running out of spare supers, and the main flow of blackberry and lime has yet to start. Unusually they are not storing in the brood boxes. This is turning out to be a very strange season indeed.

 

[Swarm]

Dust out the deep boxes.

 

[Murox]

Other than 'more supers' so they have space to dry it out and store more it's a problem with no easy answer. I have heard of people extracting uncapped honey and putting it in the fridge or freezer for personal. Maybe it's a good thing they are not storing much in the brood frames, though I guess they will stuff nectar everywhere when a good flow gets going.

 

[Finman]

Problem seems to be, that your bees bring too much honey. Hives are full and bees cannot bring any mote so much honey as they could.
It takes own time when honey is rippen and it will be capped.

During that time you loose money every day and soon yhe hives will swarm because they are full. And it is now beginning of the summer.

Solution is simple: You buy new boxes and new foundation frames.
Then you put new super boxes over the brood boxes.
And perhaps you buy to every hive one new brood box and get new brood frames for the future.

 

[Finman]

Maybe it's a good thing they are not storing much in the brood frames, though I guess they will stuff nectar everywhere when a good flow gets going.

When honey flow is good, bees store nectar everywhere, in brood frames too. I have seen nectar even in brood cells. When flow is over, bees arrange gradually their stores and arrange space for laying.

When space is totally full, swarm may escape suddenly and only eggs are in playcups.

 

[BugsInABox]

When space is totally full, swarm may escape suddenly and only eggs are in playcups.

This is what I fear. Is it common?

 

[Finman]

- but our problem now is that on most of our 12 colonies we already have 4 supers, the frames are full, but they are just not making any attempt to cap the frames ...

Yeah. The honey is too moist.

4 supers is not much. Bees need 2 supers to dry up nectar when they make one rippen super. When nectar layer is thick, honey is slower to rippen.

 

[Antipodes]

Even when they cap the honey, it is usually a different moisture percentage depending on where it is on the frame and in the box. It can be quite a significant difference.

 

[hemo]

Use anything you have spare if it means broods use them, but not right on top as they get heavy. Currently have two double brooders in a village location who are piling in the forage, one has 5 supers and the other 7 supers for storage and ripening.

 

[robmort]

Does an additional, upper, entrance help in order to create air circulation and help the bees to dry the nectar?
I've heard some people say so.
Also help foragers to avoid going all the way down through the hive.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Does an additional, upper, entrance help in order to create air circulation and help the bees to dry the nectar?
I've heard some people say so.

I don't think so

 

[Erichalfbee]

Does an additional, upper, entrance help in order to create air circulation and help the bees to dry the nectar?
I've heard some people say so.
Also help foragers to avoid going all the way down through the hive.

Foragers do not deposit the nectar in cells though do they?

 

[Finman]

If the hive is full on honey and nectar, it does not help if you do more entrances.

 

[robinharman]

Foragers do not deposit the nectar in cells though do they?

That’s right ~ nectar foragers hand over the nectar whereas pollen foragers have pack it in the cells themselves

 

[Erichalfbee]

That’s right ~ nectar foragers hand over the nectar whereas pollen foragers have pack it in the cells themselves

A reason why you get pollen in the bottom box.

 

[madbeelady]

Does an additional, upper, entrance help in order to create air circulation and help the bees to dry the nectar?
I've heard some people say so.
Also help foragers to avoid going all the way down through the hive.

Nope no difference. Tried it on my 7 at home to see if it would be useful but they don't use it, they prefer to traipse through the brood box and 6 supers lol!!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Nope no difference. Tried it on my 7 at home to see if it would be useful but they don't use it, they prefer to traipse through the brood box and 6 supers lol!!

That's because they don't traipse through the boxes. The nectar is handed over to a house bee close to the entrance. It then passes along and through a series of her sisters, each adding the enzymes which make it honey till it reaches a place where it can be put in a cell

 

[Finman]

Main thing in this is that bees should have enough empty combs to store the nectar, what they forage from fields

You sure understand, that bees must have a system , where they put new nectar and where they put half rippen nectar, and finally to the uppermost cells the ready honey. And topmost capping.

They cannot mix nextar and honey every day. In such case they do not get then rippen ready honey.

Like I look yesterday one hive. Super was full and bees stored new nextar near the entrance under thr brood box. They did not have better place where to put nectar. And the result was that the hive had loaded queen cells. I put to the hive one new langstroth box and one medium. After couple of days I propably make an AS. Raspberry just started blooming, and it is one of the best honey flower.

 

[Nannysbees]

In the last few weeks our bees have been bringing nectar and pollen back like here is no tomorrow - maybe they know something we don't!!! - but our problem now is that on most of our 12 colonies we already have 4 supers, the frames are full, but they are just not making any attempt to cap the frames and the shake test shows that they are not ready for extraction. We are fast running out of spare supers, and the main flow of blackberry and lime has yet to start. Unusually they are not storing in the brood boxes. This is turning out to be a very strange season indeed.

We are experiencing the same

 

[Finman]

We are experiencing the same

= not able to learn from others experience.