There’s stupid for you!

[The Poot]

Today it was very warm. I tackled hive 2 which overwintered on brood and a half (breaking my promise to myself!) and a nadired super. Lots of space - all poly.
I have not seen a colony this big this early in the season! It was heaving! The top super contained stores and eggs with drone brood at the base of the frames. The brood box had a little food, some sealed brood, but I didn’t pull many frames. I wanted to remove what should be an empty nadired super.….
As there was so many bees, I added a second brood box after removing the nadired super.

The super contained lots of bees and as I shook them into the brood box it showered the bees with nectar. It wasn’t until I got to the penultimate frame that it occurred to me that this is all today‘s nectar they’ve brought in and the many bees in the box were receiving and distributing it…..
AND I COULD HAVE SIMPLY ADDED A QUEEN EXCLUDER AND FITTED THE SUPER - ALREADY HALF FILLED, ABOVE IT AND NOT DISTURBED THE BEES OR GIVEN THEM A SHOWER!

STUPID!

Tomorrow I’ll put the wet super back on.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Not stupid. I still do daft stuff in a hurry. The bees will fix it and they will have that wet super.

 

[The Poot]

Not stupid. I still do daft stuff in a hurry. The bees will fix it and they will have that wet super.

I just kick myself that it could have been much less intrusive. The bees were wonderfully calm and forgiving though.

This colony didn’t go into a tight cluster and had been consuming so much food throughout the Winter. Starting out with a full ish super, a nadired super a third full, then fed syrup, lots of ivy and recently lots of fondant. There were no full frames of food at all, just small arches over some frames, plus the bottom super of fresh nectar. But, so many bees - and from a queen from an emergency queen cell last July.

 

[gregior]

I just kick myself that it could have been much less intrusive. The bees were wonderfully calm and forgiving though.

This colony didn’t go into a tight cluster and had been consuming so much food throughout the Winter. Starting out with a full ish super, a nadired super a third full, then fed syrup, lots of ivy and recently lots of fondant. There were no full frames of food at all, just small arches over some frames, plus the bottom super of fresh nectar. But, so many bees - and from a queen from an emergency queen cell last July.

Better than ending up with the Q in the super!

 

[Erichalfbee]

But, so many bees - and from a queen from an emergency queen cell last July.

They surprise you all the time.

 

[Murox]

Poot, you should be rubbing your hands together and thinking about all the honey they are going to give you. I'm still itching to get into my hives .

 

[enrico]

Better than ending up with the Q in the super!

That's really not a problem. I had three hives brood and a half. I put a qe between the two boxes and if I can't find the queen i check after five days. If there are eggs in the super it is easy to find her in such a small box and pop her in the brood box. This time of the year the eggs are unlikely to be drones so just leave them to get on with it!

 

[gwt_uk]

I had a similarish experience today. Went to check on a hive which was brood and a half. I was keen to remove the super as I have found brood and a half a bit troublesome. Super and brood box absolutely full of bees. I pulled out one frame in the super and spotted some brood and the queen. Caged her, put her back in the brood box and added a second brood box. Then added a QE and the super back on top. Was lucky to spot the queen! The colony was much larger than I had expected!

 

[Ian123]

I had a similarish experience today. Went to check on a hive which was brood and a half. I was keen to remove the super as I have found brood and a half a bit troublesome. Super and brood box absolutely full of bees. I pulled out one frame in the super and spotted some brood and the queen. Caged her, put her back in the brood box and added a second brood box. Then added a QE and the super back on top. Was lucky to spot the queen! The colony was much larger than I had expected!

I’m sure they’ll be fine but rather than split the brood with a box I’d have put it underneath at least until it was all sealed.

 

[gwt_uk]

I’m sure they’ll be fine but rather than split the brood with a box I’d have put it underneath at least until it was all sealed.

Thanks. There were two small patches of brood mostly sealed so thought it should be ok.

 

[plain_hunt]

I nadir mine over winter, so turned them all over yesterday. Lovely sunny warm day. 6 out of the seven had small amounts of brood, all laying well. The 7th is wall to wall brood, drones, and queen cups. I’m on 14x12s, so that was slightly unexpected for the time of year. I will be keeping a close watch on that one.it’s due to get another super tomorrow, just to give them some room because the next week is due to be wet. I don’t want to find they’ve swarmed as soon as it clears up.