Three Supers - Rhombus Clearer Board - How long to clear?

[einsteinagogo]

as per title

Three Supers - Rhombus Clearer Board - How long should I wait to clear?

I dropped it on at 2.00pm today?

I was planning to go back at 8-9pm this evening, nearer dark, to remove supers, hopefully no bees, and close up roof, remove clearer board.

or should I leave longer?

 

[REDWOOD]

Eight hours is about it

 

[einsteinagogo]

thanks, back at 10pm then!

 

[Haughton Honey]

Make sure that you replace them with something rather than squash all those bees in to the brood box.....or they'll be hanging out of the front entrance.

 

[einsteinagogo]

I've left a super on, which is not full, of even fully drawn and they are on brood and a half. I noticed today on inspection, that there were fewer bees in the top super, than a week ago. So colony could be getting smaller. I'll check back the hive, and see if they require additional space.

 

[Swarm]

Why go back late when all the bees are at home? You've still got to replace the crown board. I'd leave it overnight and go back early in the morning, in fact, that's exactly what I did.
Clearers on Saturday, returned Sunday morning. I had a few stragglers but I'd only put the top partially filled super under the three I was removing. All supers bagged and stacked and most stragglers flew back home during the process.

 

[itma]

as per title

Three Supers - Rhombus Clearer Board - How long should I wait to clear?

I dropped it on at 2.00pm today?

I was planning to go back at 8-9pm this evening, nearer dark, to remove supers, hopefully no bees, and close up roof, remove clearer board.

or should I leave longer?

Better to go back before dark - so you aren't carrying heavy boxes in the dark (white light torch not a good idea, red much better, otherwise BEFORE dark). /// or like swarm suggests, tomorrow morning.
Take a look in the boxes to make sure your clearer has worked BEFORE taking them off! (I really do like see-through coverboards.)
A few hours should do, but it does depend on lots of things, like the number of bees, the height of eke under your rhombus...


I'd suggest you leave the clearer board in place if you are taking the boxes - so you aren't actually "opening the hive" - and encouraging bees to come out while you have some boxes of honey there that you don't want bees in! You might put a coverboard on top of the clearer for now. And a lid on your supers will reduce the smell of honey and attention you get from the bees.

Open up and remove the {late edit) clearer board in good daylight (and when there is no honey being removed).

If you are taking the supers in the same compartment as people (you) are travelling (like in an estate car) take an old sheet or something to drape over the supers, just in case there is the odd bee that comes out and tries to help with the driving...

 

[mbc]

Why go back late when all the bees are at home? You've still got to replace the crown board. I'd leave it overnight and go back early in the morning, in fact, that's exactly what I did.

Leaving them overnight to clear is a good idea IMHO, the bees are generally quite calm in the morning unlike the excitement you might find if you go back too early in the evening.

 

[Swarm]

Yep, they were very calm and hive was business as usual with a slight interruption to replace the crown board.

 

[einsteinagogo]

Thanks to ALL, this is my very first crop of honey, on my own, and I didn't really think I would end up with any this season/year, but swarm arriving in May/June, did good. I've signed up on Winter Theory with locak BKA...running from Oct-Feb!

we live and learn....

Annoyingly my nitrile gloves ripped whilst putting on, only worn three times....so had to switch to leather pair quickly....

it was getting dark, so went along at 9pm (note to self, must do earlier, and work in daylight next time, or take off in AM!). two supers were stuck fast together, so had to eat some spinach, to move both supers together (heavy work!), worked quick, supers off, clearer board off, coverboard on, roof on. only a few bees, made it, into extraction room, 3-4!

had two bees follow me back, and were a bit grumpy....but soon flew back to hive, whilst I walked 100m away.

I'm actually using quite a few glass quills, so I can check the girls without removing the cover!

So now, I have lots of runny honey in buckets, will now start filtering...

 

[itma]

... worked quick, supers off, clearer board off, coverboard on, roof on. only a few bees, made it, into extraction room, 3-4!

had two bees follow me back, and were a bit grumpy....but soon flew back to hive, whilst I walked 100m away.

IMHO, if you leave the clearer board on at least until after you have taken the supers well away from the hives, then you get much less 'assistance' from grumpy bees ... it can easily stay in place for a few days, unless you have another immediate job for it.

 

[einsteinagogo]

@itma

thanks