Should i super?

[Hivemaker.]

Cups with JELLY whether dear reader you can see the larvae or not are a CLEAR STATEMENT of INTENT to SWARM. I cannot make it any clearer than that.

Not always true,depends on a few observations and even time of year.

 

[Tom Bick]

Can we just review this situation and see where it went wrong.

In fact here:#5 "only jelly in the q cells, no larvae so i guess no real need to do AS" That reads to me I saw jely but my eyesight/the light was not good enough to seet he leavae.

Post after post on this forum tells you explicitly that empty cups, and cups with eggs are of no concern.

Cups with JELLY whether dear reader you can see the larvae or not are a CLEAR STATEMENT of INTENT to SWARM. I cannot make it any clearer than that.


All you can do now is to wait.

PH

I understand your frustration PH as you are a very experienced beekeeper and have forgotten more than most will learn but I dont think strong worded posts like this helps new beekeepers and perhaps puts people of posting.

 

[Poly Hive]

My point is to help and I am not frustrated at all I am just giving the emphasis the situation deserves. If some are put of by some emphasis then they are surely very put off able people. I post here as I talk. I am direct and pull no punches and it seems to work in lecture situations, mentoring situations and posting on here.

Bees do nothing invariably Hivemaker and I post that with every post. Surely it is clear enough? However I treat every colony with RJ in cups as an intent to swarm and so far I can safely say it has stood me in good stead.

PH

 

[Hivemaker.]

I don't treat EVERY colony with royal jelly in cells as an intent to swarm at all,some have failing queens which can be clearly seen,some are out on the heather and simply superceding,many of my colonys do this,they obviously have royal jelly and larvae in cells....i don't break them down if i happen to see them or treat these colonys with any intent to swarm at all.

 

[Peter Cox]

Beezy
Loads of us are about the same with new nucs , I had asked the question about feedinfg all said be careful as they will probably fill the brood box with the xtra syrup given leaving the queen with less space to lay, in the past I have just put a super on and let the bees get on with it , I always leave a dummy board in as well it just makes it easier when you have to move the first frame .
My opinion

Grub

What's a dummy board? I'd seen refs on this site before but they were always for the more esoteric UK style hives. I see you are using Langstroths so wondered exactly what it is. Is it just a frame where the foundation space has been filled with a sheet of luan board or the like?
Why would you use it instead of a normal frame of foundation? The only time I've had difficulty removing an end frame is when I've messed up the gap at the hive edge and they've gone and built burr comb in there between the hive body and the edge frame, teaches one not to mess around with the beespace and typically only happens once. Leaving a dummy board in there is basically reducing your brood or honey crop by 10% and I would have thought you'd stand more chance of them building burr com in that space.

 

[Haughton Honey]

What's a dummy board? I'd seen refs on this site before but they were always for the more esoteric UK style hives. I see you are using Langstroths so wondered exactly what it is. Is it just a frame where the foundation space has been filled with a sheet of luan board or the like?
Why would you use it instead of a normal frame of foundation? The only time I've had difficulty removing an end frame is when I've messed up the gap at the hive edge and they've gone and built burr comb in there between the hive body and the edge frame, teaches one not to mess around with the beespace and typically only happens once. Leaving a dummy board in there is basically reducing your brood or honey crop by 10% and I would have thought you'd stand more chance of them building burr com in that space.

Peter,

I think that most people here use dummy boards in the brood boxes, not in the supers, so that your crop shouldn't be impacted.

Personally, using 2 x BS National brood boxes as I do, I find that 1 x dummy board and 11 x DN4 (Hoffman self-spacing frame) in each brood box works very well.

 

[Black Comb]

I think there are slight differences in Langstroth sizes country to country.

the brood boxes I use take 10 hoffmann frames but then have a gap so a dummy board (I use 12mm ply) is put next to the end frame to stop the bees filling this gap with comb.

It also makes inspection slightly easier as you can take out the dummy board and you have a ready made gap to move the 1st frame into.

 

[MuswellMetro]

Hi Grub,

Thanks for your reply. So they would take the syrup down past the super frames into the brood box then? I hadn't realised they'd do that - I thought they'd just store it in the super. I'll remove the syrup tomorrow then as I don't want them to block up the brood box. Cheers!

everyone says you must feed a Nuc a gallon of syrup but i never feed after 1st june especially Carnie or Carnie X bees

 

[MrB]

I understand your frustration PH

I Dont.

you are a very experienced beekeeper and have forgotten more than most will learn .

not too sure about that either.

I dont think strong worded posts like this helps new beekeepers and perhaps puts people of posting.

100% (Oh, and i am not alone!)

It dosent need to be bold

i can see ordinary text

It dosent need to be big

i can see ordinary size text

And it doesent need to be red

I am not colour blind.

there is also no need for the sarcasm, i am not your "Dear reader" PH.

The sad thing is, i respect the views, but a weeks course at charm school wouldnt go amiss.

 

[Jeff Buzz]

Sorry to go against the grain but I find it quite useful to have basics like this highlighted

 

[m100]

everyone says you must feed a Nuc a gallon of syrup but i never feed after 1st june especially Carnie or Carnie X bees

Maybe that would apply in certain micro climates, but such a quote could quite easily be taken by newbies as universal rule. The need for feed has to be assessed by observation. When it rains during the day and the bees can't forage for days on end the stores can deplete very rapidly, starving bees die, the queen stops laying, and eventually the colony dies. But in a massive nectar flow a nuc could quite easily build to the level at which it could go into winter with 50lbs of stores without any additional feeding.

 

[davethegas]

gotta bee honest, anything highlighted in bold or red can appear a little like shouting by text, but advice was requested, maybe the same thing that is, to be honest, asked nearly every week. But to be fair, anyone reading the red or bold text will remember the answer in case theres a next time. New beeks will always ask regardless. Now, lets all stop sniping and get on, lifes too short....DTG

 

[Poly Hive]

There is an ignore function on here and I am about to employ it.

There is one person on my ignore list and sadly it is about to be expanded by 100%.

Bye bye Mr B.

PH

 

[MrB]

There is an ignore function on here and I am about to employ it.

There is one person on my ignore list and sadly it is about to be expanded by 100%.

Bye bye Mr B.

PH

Its under user CP

 

[victor meldrew]

Hi Pete ,
looks like 'old Shen' is rearing his head again

John Wilkinson

 

[davethegas]

MrB / PH

Ok guys, I haven't the experience of either of you but if I were in the s##t I would respect the views of both. I am looking at this as a mentor in my field who has put 2 apprentices into 2nd/3rd best place in country. Not by thinking I'm best there is, nor by letting them insult me if I pointed out the obvious, again & again, but by realising that sometimes we cant all see the wood for the trees. Guys, ego is the most destructive word in the world. Do us a favour, pm & make up? Dave-t-g.

 

[tonybloke]

And it doesent need to be red

No, it doesn't, you're right!! (unlike your spell-checker)

 

[MrB]

No, it doesn't, you're right!! (unlike your spell-checker)

HaHaHa, OK,

stands in corner with dunces hat on

 

[MrB]

OK, back to beekeeping

my spare hive containing sealed brood, food, foundation, nurse bee's and q cell appears to have hatched the virgin all seems quiet in there so will now leave well alone!

Main hive,
Special delivery from "Royal mail" this morning containing new Queen! Thanks Hivemaker

After making sure hive was ready to accept HM (no signs of any other q or Q cells, no sign of laying workers) and let HM settle down from her journey,had a fun time trying to release the attendants and keep the queen in her cage!! did this inside a big plastic bag. a little fiddly but a success.
placed the cage onto top bars for a few mins to observe the responce.
they were straight there having a nosey!! but not in an aggresive way.
then left cage suspended between frames of sealed brood ( hatch open to reveal candy plug) and closed up the hive!
so, i will now leave well alone for about 10 days and let them have some well deserved peace and quiet

Thanks again to Hivemaker for the queen and support and encouragement.
you are an absolute star

 

[tonybloke]

let us know how things progress?