stores in the brood box

[garethjbarry]

Hi, I think that this is probably a regular question but I cant find any other post on it. I have a collony that is strong and foraging well. They are however using the brood box to store the honey and not the super. Since im new to bee keeping i have only a few drawn frames, currently the brood box has only 2 frames of foundation (they have drawn another 3). The super is half and half and they havent touched it. My worry is that they will fill the brood chamber and the queen will run out of laying space. Any ideas?

 

[enrico]

Take the queen excluder off for a day, make sure when you put it back on the queen is below it, or put the super below the bb for a couple of days also with no QE, again make sure the queen is in the bb when you replace them but if you don't feel confident to do that then don't worry too much they will use when necessary, which QE are you using ! The wire ones are the best.
E

 

[Finman]

I have a collony that is strong and foraging well.

They are however using the brood box to store the honey and not the super.

currently the brood box has only 2 frames of foundation
:

Any ideas?

Your colony is quite small. Not all brood foundations have been drawn.

The colony does not need/stand the super, because they do not can occupy the brood.

How many brood frames you have there?

- take super off
- wait that colony fill all the frames.
- after that put second foundation box under the brood.

- If you have mesh floor, close it.
- Keep insulation on the cover.
- don't even think about feeding or something encouraging
.

 

[drstitson]

Bruise the cappings of the stores in the brood box.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Bruise the cappings of the stores in the brood box.

 

[itma]

Hi, I think that this is probably a regular question but I cant find any other post on it. I have a collony that is strong and foraging well. They are however using the brood box to store the honey and not the super. Since im new to bee keeping i have only a few drawn frames, currently the brood box has only 2 frames of foundation (they have drawn another 3). The super is half and half and they havent touched it. My worry is that they will fill the brood chamber and the queen will run out of laying space. Any ideas?

You need to get the whole brood box drawn (and largely being used) before they'll have much interest in the super. So, yes, take off the super for now.

Move those foundation frames. Put one on each side of the brood nest, between the brood frames and the stores frames. That is where they will be drawn fastest.
After those frames have been started drawing, THEN start 'bruising' capped stores on brood box frames. Do this a little at a time.
Think "this bit of comb is well placed for brood, not stores, so I'll help the girls by uncapping it for them". You need to think out which bits could best be re-planned.
Once all the frames are fully drawn, put back the QX and super.

When you put the super back, put the drawn frames together, and arrange them to be above the frames in the BB with the most brood - probably near the middle of the hive.

 

[Finman]

Move those foundation frames. Put one on each side of the brood nest, between the brood frames and the stores frames. That is where they will be drawn fastest. .

Question is not about speed of drawing foundations. It does not help even if you give ready combs. When colony is small, it is small.

 

[Dishmop]

Give them a jolly good telling off. Its time they learned that upstairs is for storing food and not the nearest convenient place that they want to use.

 

[itma]

Question is not about speed of drawing foundations. It does not help even if you give ready combs. When colony is small, it is small.

Getting the comb drawn is a necessary step to colony expansion.

Hopefully the brood nest IS expanding. And with lots of nectar income, there is need for comb for evaporation.
There is likely a rapidly increasing need for more comb.
Normally people would have the problem earlier in the season, risking swarming because of "brood blocking".
The quicker the extra comb is drawn, the less risk there is of that happening.
And I think drawn comb WOULD reduce the risk.

And as you say, a small colony would only do such stuff slowly.
My personal opinion is that doing it as fast as possible (for a small colony), if there is no drawn comb available, is the best way to make progress.

 

[Finman]

Getting the comb drawn is a necessary step to colony expansion. .

Oh dear. Really new to me.

.

Hopefully the brood nest IS expanding. And with lots of nectar income, there is need for comb for evaporation. .

Itma, you should know that 7 frames colony is not a huge nectar collector.
And it is sure that 7 frame hive is not incereasing rapidly.
If it increase rapidly, it consumes all food to brood.

.

"brood blocking". .

Never heard. You must move the excluder.

.

The quicker the extra comb is drawn, the less risk there is of that happening.
And I think drawn comb WOULD reduce the risk. .

That is pure rubbish

.

My personal opinion is that doing it as fast as possible (for a small colony), if there is no drawn comb available, is the best way to make progress.

.[/QUOTE]

Oh dear
.

 

[user 6228]

Any ideas?

Your colony is quite small. Not all brood foundations have been drawn.

The colony does not need/stand the super, because they do not can occupy the brood.

How many brood frames you have there?

- take super off
- wait that colony fill all the frames.
- after that put second foundation box under the brood.

- If you have mesh floor, close it.
- Keep insulation on the cover.
- don't even think about feeding or something encouraging
.

I would only add "put a lot more insulation on" Our tiny colonies have developed well and very fast and are not tiny any more, but they had all the above but with +++insulation.

 

[itma]

Finman, you are STILL unfamiliar with the concept of "brood blocking" ...

Oh dear.

We have been there before http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=23609

 

[Finman]

I would only add "put a lot more insulation on" Our tiny colonies have developed well and very fast and are not tiny any more, but they had all the above but with +++insulation.

That is very important to that size of colony. Even if (now) days are good, nights and rainy days are cold

 

[user 6228]

Give them a jolly good telling off. Its time they learned that upstairs is for storing food and not the nearest convenient place that they want to use.

I 've got two colonies where they are alternating SIDES of frames stores(poolen and nectar) and eggs. some one must have done a time and motion study in there, putting stores on the oppposite comb.
or more sensibly and possibly when there is not a pronounced thermal gradient they dont order things the same way as when the thermal gradient are strong. However this is in treewarm nests and definitely not the OP situation

 

[Finman]

kjyfkjhf

 

[Finman]

Finman, you are STILL unfamiliar with the concept of "brood blocking" ...
]

I am and I am going to be

Never happened to me that brood block I do not use excluder.

My purpose is to rear as much brood as possible. But not in this time of year.
Hives could me now without laying queen.

Many of my hives had brood in 3 boxes. Now the same hives have 50 kg nectar and honey and more is coming. Their brood area is full of nectar even if they have 5 boxes or 7 boxes.

This flow here is still about 10 days then summer is over and brood blocks.
Only what I can do is to hive more room and extract capped honey.

 

[BILL.HEARD]

Hello,
What you have at present is a very strong nuc , not a fully built up colony. I would take off the super at present and leave it for a week or so until the bees have completed the brood area, you may then put on the super and try to get a surplus from any late flow in your area. You have not the number of foragers at this time to take advantage of the current flow. Most stocks will be peaking now as far as foragers are concerned but will be occupying at least a brood and a half or two brood boxes.

 

[Finman]

Why a small colony does not have much foragers today

Forager development is long. Brood takes 3 weeks From emerging to foraging it takes again 3 weeks.

Today's forager amount depends on how much the hive had brood 6 weeks ago. It is last week of May.

If now the hive has 6 frood frames and it had 2 brood frames 1,5 month ago, the hive is not in balance to forage honey surplus.

When a box is full of brood now, it ie ready to get a good yield 6 weeks later.
It is end of August to you hive.

 

[beeno]

Hi Gareth,
Thought mine would have done some work in the super, but no. In all fairness it has only been on for a week. Taken the QX off too. Four jumbo frames of honey/nectar on the way in top brood box though, so I am not complaining. They got plenty of room still as long as white wax flow is on!

 

[garethjbarry]

Wow, thanks for all the replies. Their are tonnes of bees that fill brood box. Thanks for the advice, fingers crossed.