Space for bees when extracting

[MrMouse]

Hi all,
Looking at taking off a Spring crop over the next few weeks.
I’d be grateful for your advice on hive configuration.

I currently have a national hive with a single brood box, QE, then 4 supers (almost full) and a brood box on top (demaree’d - full of nectar).

These boxes are rammed with bees - what do you suggest I clear them down into, make them double brood + a single super and watch closely over the ensuing weeks?

Secondly, using rhombus clearers, how long do you think it would take to clear this setup?

Thanks

 

[enrico]

Hi all,
Looking at taking off a Spring crop over the next few weeks.
I’d be grateful for your advice on hive configuration.

I currently have a national hive with a single brood box, QE, then 4 supers (almost full) and a brood box on top (demaree’d - full of nectar).

These boxes are rammed with bees - what do you suggest I clear them down into, make them double brood + a single super and watch closely over the ensuing weeks?

Secondly, using rhombus clearers, how long do you think it would take to clear this setup?

Thanks

I take it you have to take all the boxes at once? I would clear two, rhombus 24 hours, put them back wet and clear the other two

 

[MrMouse]

I would ideally do one extraction but could happily clear over a longer period as above.
Currently trying to judge ripeness vs crystallisation

 

[Antipodes]

Hi all,
Looking at taking off a Spring crop over the next few weeks.
I’d be grateful for your advice on hive configuration.

I currently have a national hive with a single brood box, QE, then 4 supers (almost full) and a brood box on top (demaree’d - full of nectar).

These boxes are rammed with bees - what do you suggest I clear them down into, make them double brood + a single super and watch closely over the ensuing weeks?

Secondly, using rhombus clearers, how long do you think it would take to clear this setup?

Thanks

Take out the frames one by one, brush off the bees, check them, and put the nicely capped ones into a "to be extracted" box. Take away and extract immediately. There will be other frames not properly capped. Keep them in one super on the hive (or in more supers on the hive if needed). Come back in a week or so and get them off for extraction too. It will need two extraction dates.

 

[ericbeaumont]

single brood box, QE, then 4 supers (almost full) and a brood box on top (demaree’d - full of nectar)

Have you another box of foundation to give them work? If so, add it, take off the top BB, extract and replace.

 

[MrMouse]

Thanks all,
I’ve got spare foundation and boxes.

I think I’ll do as some have said and take the ‘ripe’ frames and extract and condense the frames that aren’t ready down.

I suppose I’ll then probably have to super up quite rapidly when the brambles get going seeing as there is a towers worth of bees there.