Spring prep

[Taliesin]

We had some lovely warm weather last weekend so I went up to the hives to see how they were doing. There were loads of bees flying from both hives and all seemed well. In the autumn I'd put a super on the stronger of the two hives to give them the option of going up into the super as a brood-and-a half if they needed it (no queen excluder, obviously).

To check they had enough stores, I had a quick look under the crown board at the weekend and was surprised to see that the whole super full of capped honey (most of it likely re-winter syrup feed).

As the weather warms up in the next few weeks and they start to expand, it doesn't look like they'll have much room in the super expand the brood nest. They were a really strong colony last year and I think they'll quickly run out of room in the single brood box as soon as the weather warms in the next 2-3 weeks. I'd like to give them some more space. What's the best way to do that?

Possible options -
Add an empty super under the full one so they can go brood and a half?
Take 2 or 3 frames of capped syrup/honey out of the full one and replace with frames with foundation?

Your opinions much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[drex]

Wait and see. As they start to rear more brood, they will use more stores, thus creating more space for brood, and could well eat up all this presumed syrup. This is the dynamics of the hive. The last thing you want is for this syrup to go into this years honey crop. As on a recent thread you will see that a lot of people prefer double brood to brood and half.

At time of first inspection, if you still want brood and a half, and there is no brood in the shallow box, you could place it under the brood box. This would have the effect of moving the brood nest up nearer the QX, where you want it to be, and let them expand the brood nest down as they would naturally. If there is brood in the shallow box you could just leave it where it is. If you want to go to double brood, put the shallow over a QX and let the brood hatch. Etc. Better if you get back on here nearer the date when you know what is actually where.

This is all about box management. Look on Welsh beekeepers website. They have some brilliant booklets to download. An apiary guide to swarm control talks about box management and is worth a look

 

[Taliesin]

Great - thank you
I would prefer to go to double brood if I can.

 

[john t]

sounds like you have got a couple of plans in mind and any what you mention would work ,

for the first spring inspection i would have some frames with foundation ready made up, and quickly go through each frame and assess the situation,i usually transfer them into a fresh clean brood box, and if they are getting crowded remove a couple of the worst looking /old frames (not with brood) and insert two fresh frames with your new foundation placed a frame away from the nest at each side, ie dont place them in the center of the nest, you want them to get drawn out but not chill the brood and not at the ends as they can be reluctant to work them and we can still get cold spells ,
that would give you some thinking time and plan for the next inspection

just when you thought you had it all planned out the bees have a way of changing our best plans

 

[Swarm]

Agree with drex, double brood is far better than brood and half. If double brood gives them too much room you can use thick follower boards to reduce the size to what they require, eight over eight provides a nice nest shape. You could give them a reduced brood below the existing one and an excluder under any brood in the super, making sure she is downstairs first. Increase the space in the lower box and add frames as they need them.

Plenty of time to think about options, what bees do you have?

 

[Curly green fingers]

sounds like you have got a couple of plans in mind and any what you mention would work ,

for the first spring inspection i would have some frames with foundation ready made up, and quickly go through each frame and assess the situation,i usually transfer them into a fresh clean brood box, and if they are getting crowded remove a couple of the worst looking /old frames (not with brood) and insert two fresh frames with your new foundation placed a frame away from the nest at each side, ie dont place them in the center of the nest, you want them to get drawn out but not chill the brood and not at the ends as they can be reluctant to work them and we can still get cold spells ,
that would give you some thinking time and plan for the next inspection

just when you thought you had it all planned out the bees have a way of changing our best plans

I plan to transfer brood frames to a new national and use the old one after cleaning as a spare I like your thinking john t..

 

[Taliesin]

Thanks all - much appreciated

Swarm - you've answered my next question about adding an extra brood box. This hive has a Buckfast queen. They were a new nuc last year and have done brilliantly.

When I add the extra brood box, will the use their stores to draw the new comb on foundation or better to give them some 1:1 syrup to do that so they keep the capped stores to feed brood?

 

[drex]

The books say they do not use capped stores for drawing wax, so feed if no flow on.

 

[Taliesin]

Thank you

 

[SDM]

The books say they do not use capped stores for drawing wax, so feed if no flow on.

Or bruise some of the capped stores and they'll get on with using it.

 

[drex]

Totally agree, but remember when they start brood rearing in earnest they really start to go through the stores

 

[Swarm]

The super contains syrup so best to get that used out of the way.