Should I take super off

[Hughesie]

I cant believe what I am reading , get a life guys !!

 

[richardbees]

SteveJ,

Presumably you left the queen excluder on top of the brood box? in which case the bees have used the stores and will happily be down in the brood box - so best take the super off.

I very much doubt they are going to need feeding fondant, if they've had that super to munch on, the brood box should still be well stocked.....

 

[oliver90owner]

Well done Rab. (PH, from another thread)

I might well say 'Well done PH'.... after "Probably will not waste my time anymore with this forum!

And that after over 400 posts!

One sometimes needs to remember things that go around, come around (or summat like that).

RAB

 

[Hombre]

I cant believe what I am reading , get a life guys !!
_________

Black Beauty - He's a dark horse !
The advantage of easy Oragami is 2 fold !
6 0ut of 7 Dwarfs are not Happy !

Yes, well, OK. That sounds like sage advice, cough . . ha ha.

I think that normality is likely to return in four to six weeks time or so. It's a shame that with the weather as it is, rainy, people generally can get bent out of shape by sharp or imprudent words, usually not meant to cause offence, but life goes on.

I almost had to explain to the OH about the dwarfs. I'm sure I flicked the on/off switch a couple of times earlier . . .

 

[SteveJ]

RichardBees
Left QE off. They just feel a lot lighter than my other hive. Going take the super off this weekend.

Its amazing how these threads seem to go off topic.

 

[SkiBee]

I am in same situation with bees on brood and a half although have spied bees in the super through hole in crown board. Left QE's off in autumn. Am I now stuck with brood and a half or can I take super off later in spring? Did I read last year that some beeks swap the super and brood box over later in spring to encourage bees back up to brood box and then remove super to go back to single brood box?
Questions, questions.
Skibee

 

[oliver90owner]

or can I take super off later in spring?

I thought you were away for most of the spring period? Was this not covered adequately in your recent post?

RAB

 

[SkiBee]

Hi RAB, Was talking about late April (17th onwards) as spring and wondering about how to revert to a single brood box then. Seems some forum members and Ted Hopper think brood and half is messy.
SKB

 

[oliver90owner]

Messy, yes. But could be necessary. No point in squeezing them onto one set of frames if it pushes them into swarming mode. Double brood is an option, as is jumbo boxes, as is doing an A/S. So lots of options. If you arrive back to find queen cells about to be sealed, you will be forgetting the idea of doing anything but the A/S!

You need to get this straight. There will always be some on the forum who think differently to the majority. There may be far more that think differently than the most popular option. That is beekeeping.

You do what your bees want to do, while gently steering them in the direction best suited for you (eg A/S instead of waiting for them to go), because for sure, if you go head-to-head with them they will make every attempt to thwart you and will likely win. No good for you and no good for the colony.

I would be getting concentrating on getting round your immediate situation on your return from wherever. Other changes can come later, as dictated by the conditions 'on the ground'.

Regards, RAB

 

[SkiBee]

Messy, yes. But could be necessary. No point in squeezing them onto one set of frames if it pushes them into swarming mode. Double brood is an option, as is jumbo boxes, as is doing an A/S. So lots of options. If you arrive back to find queen cells about to be sealed, you will be forgetting the idea of doing anything but the A/S!

You need to get this straight. There will always be some on the forum who think differently to the majority. There may be far more that think differently than the most popular option. That is beekeeping.

You do what your bees want to do, while gently steering them in the direction best suited for you (eg A/S instead of waiting for them to go), because for sure, if you go head-to-head with them they will make every attempt to thwart you and will likely win. No good for you and no good for the colony.

I would be getting concentrating on getting round your immediate situation on your return from wherever. Other changes can come later, as dictated by the conditions 'on the ground'.

Regards, RAB

Wish I wasn't going away now! Yep I'll assess when I get back. Just feel so happy to have three colonies that made it through the winter (so far). At one point last year I thought I was heading for the worst beekeeper in the world award - it appears we might not be out of the woods yet.
I'll bring you back a pot of Alpine honey.
Cheers RAB

 

[Finman]

.
Let the super be there. Summer is coming!
Don't forget excluder

 

[Haughton Honey]

Wish I wasn't going away now! Yep I'll assess when I get back. Just feel so happy to have three colonies that made it through the winter (so far). At one point last year I thought I was heading for the worst beekeeper in the world award - it appears we might not be out of the woods yet.
I'll bring you back a pot of Alpine honey.
Cheers RAB

Isn't Rooftops in South Devon? Kingsbridge?

Perhaps you could ask some advice from him as he'll pretty much be on your doorstep.

 

[Somerford]

In fact my crown boards only have one central feed hole. I don't mess about with those 'double Porter hole' crown board thingumybobs......

Interesting - I have both and find the double porter holes better for clearing supers (although I do the brush technique when rushed) but when feeding fondant I dump a load across both holes and it means more bees can attack the food....well it looks that way to me anyway !

S

 

[Haughton Honey]

Interesting - I have both and find the double porter holes better for clearing supers (although I do the brush technique when rushed) but when feeding fondant I dump a load across both holes and it means more bees can attack the food....well it looks that way to me anyway !

S

Quite possibly Somerford although I've not had a problem before. I use rhombus clearing boards though, not porters.

 

[richardbees]

SteveJ

If I'm not too late, I'd strongly suggest you leave it on and feed.....now's not a good time to revert from 'brood and a half'.

- Sorry, I lost track of this thread!