To add super or to feed?

[SenatorMagenut]

Hi.
My bees are very well established. All the frames are now nearly full with brood and stores. I'm assuming its too late to swarm now. Should I add a super to the bees or is it too close to winter? The super would be comletely undrawn foundation. When would you start feeding? The frames are overflowing with half dried nectar because there has been a flow for the last week. I want them to go into winter with as much supplies as possible. I am worried about feeding them because they may just make brace comb and fill it with sugar syrup. Should I leave them alone and feed them when bad weather comes?
Thanks,
SenatorMagenut

 

[broandy]

Its never to late to swarm add a super

 

[Finman]

.

I little bit warn you. As a beginner and as 1 hive owner you probably are not able to do right conclusions what is that stage of you hive.

'"Full of stores and brood" - that say nothing. So swarms tend to be.

.
If the hive is full of brood frames, it needs as much more space as it needs.
It is sure that it is not time to winter feeding. I do not know but I bet that it is at the end of September. So the hive makes before that 2 brood cycles.

You may give the foundation box under the brood box. AND NOT EXCLUDER!Then bees occupye it when they are able to do that. Give 1:1 syrup that bees are able to draw foundations. You need combs next year.
The bees which draw foundations, will not see Autumn.

And remember give mite treatments

.

 

[enrico]

Add super, it is not too late for a swarm, they won't use it if they don't need it.

 

[REDWOOD]

Add a super, if nothing else it will give them more space and something to do which on many instances reduce the risk of swarming

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

probably supering two of my new colonies next week as well as my established ones

 

[SenatorMagenut]

So what do I do with a super once its time to come off? And its got a load of brood and food in it? I dont have an extractor yet and I don't want to get new foundation.

 

[REDWOOD]

So what do I do with a super once its time to come off? And its got a load of brood and food in it? I dont have an extractor yet and I don't want to get new foundation.

QE on top of BB and then a super, if the bees draw it out and store honey borrow an extractor if they don't just remove before autumn sets in assess their stores and feed if required. store the super in a dry cool place between to flat boards to prevent wax moth and it will save for next year and the year after

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

1)Put a queen excluder between the brood box and super then crush and strain if you want the honey.
2)leave the hive on brood and a half until spring then put the super under until the queen moves back into the brood
3)put the super under the brood straight away and leave them sort it out
these are just three things you could do - i'm sure someone will come back with more

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

QE on top of BB and then a super, if the bees draw it out and store honey borrow an extractor if they don't just remove before autumn sets in assess their stores and feed if required. store the super in a dry cool place between to flat boards to prevent wax moth and it will save for next year and the year after

Told you !

 

[SenatorMagenut]

Thanks guys, Ill add a super and QE then. Only prob is that I think bad weather is coming next week. Should I ignore that? I dont think it would be good to give the bees a super and then have their nectar supply cut off.

 

[REDWOOD]

Bees will forage in drizzle and bright spells in between rain, if there is a flow on you will be amazed what the bees can collect with inclement weather

 

[blackcavebees]

Weather is warm here, albeit damp! Better for them to have a bit of room IF they need it than for them to think they don't have enough room and swarm.

I'm in county Antrim and I'm finding that they are out flying between the showers and not sure where they are getting it but still bringing in nectar and pollen.

 

[SenatorMagenut]

Thanks for the help guys. It's always helpful to have your opinions

I dont know where i'd be without this forum.

 

[Finman]

So what do I do with a super once its time to come off? And its got a load of brood and food in it? I dont have an extractor yet and I don't want to get new foundation.

You are better to learn beekeeping and not to tell "what you want". It does not go so.

And if you feed the hive to get combs ready, you cannot extract "the honey".

 

[sandysman]

If you are a member of your local BKA they may well have an extractor that you can borrow if you need one.

 

[oliver90owner]

Back to basics. Thinking is good, thinking ahead as well is even better.

How are you proposing to over-winter your bees? Single brood box or a brood and a half or brood and a super?

At the moment, it appears to be a single brood box but somehow I think it has been given little or no thought.

 

[SenatorMagenut]

I have given thought about wintering them. Fellow beeks around me give so much pessimism regarding the success of my colony that I assumed I would be lucky to fill the bood box for winter. I will not have access to the hive for the next 10 days because I'm away.

Feed
Super
QE
BB

Would adding a super and a feed on top of it be a good idea? If I put the queen excluder in would the bees still be able to eat the stores in the super of would I have to remove the excluder when they cluster.

 

[Finman]

How are you proposing to over-winter your bees?

there are 2 brood cycles still. No one can now say what the hive nees at the end of September.

 

[oliver90owner]

Thinking ahead.... Finman....