Too early for increase?

[Pete Nicholson]

Following three glorious days of sunshine down in deepest devon and with a very strong colony + advice from local club and on this forum I have decided to pop on another brood box.
Fed with 2L syrup and gone in 24 hours! so I hope this means they are drawing my foundation frames.
Felt top BB tonight through crown board and good warm temperature so am hopeful. As a newbee I want to get on some super foundation asap as I have none drawn and want to catch the spring flow. I know I am pushing it but have hopes for increase to two colonies this year with at least one producing a honey crop - don't care how much: one pound would be good so long as I enter winter with a couple of strong colonies. I'm lucky in that I have my girls in my garden and visit them around 5 times a day to relax and watch. Missus say's I'm mollycoddling but it's good for the blood pressure!
Few photos attached.
P.
ps. thanks for advice Oliver90owner!

 

[VEG]

You put on another brood box (bit early for that here).How many frames of brood were there? Did you move frames of brood into the upper brood as well?

 

[Poly Hive]

Forward planning is good but..........

Todays date is 17th of March. This is still winter.

Take your time, dinna over feed, and let the bees get on with it in some peace.

Hopefully Hivemaker can offer some local advice.

PH

 

[thurrock bees]

nice pattern of brood there

 

[Pete Nicholson]

Hi Veg - 7 frames containing brood and yes, second photo shows brood frames moved from lower (3,6,8) into upper(5,6,7)
regards
P.

 

[VEG]

I have never heard of moving brood into the upper box. Hope it works I have always just put a brood box on and let them get on with it. If the weather turns cold the bees will be spread out a lot further so it may be a risk.

 

[Pete Nicholson]

Hi PH - yes I am aware that I am pushing it but was worried that they were overcrowding as I had them all in just the one BB and they were starting to beard at the entrance on the first warm day - there are so many - I don't want them to swarm through overcrowding.
Didn't get my Nuc till last july so too late to get them started properly - wintered through on a single BB with plenty of feed and candy from december till last month.
I have been told you can't give too much care!! and I like my girls to have the best - maybe that is wrong but as a newbee I am just going on advice from much more experienced mentors in my local club.
P.

 

[Pete Nicholson]

Hi Veg - was told that if you move brood the nurse bees stay with it so increases the possibility of success!
P.

 

[VEG]

Not having a go at you for doing it just saying never seen/heard of it. I may have just learned summit new myself lol

 

[Pete Nicholson]

I'm learning all the time Veg - it's a very steep curve for a newbee and I'm sure there will be successes and Failures!
best regards
P.

 

[Poly Hive]

I think you are pushing it a bit Pete.

Swarming point is months away yet.

If you saw congestion at the entrance it probably some youngsters having a look.

Relax.

I certainly would not have put brood up in the top super. At least not in a timber hive.... check the date. I have seen snow in Devon in March. As no doubt you have and what looks a thundering big colony on a bonny day suddenly looks very small the next when the temp drops and they cluster. If they cluster that brood up top will be abandoned. Just a heads up.

PH

 

[Finman]

What you have done to the hive, it workd in June but not now.

The brood area must be compact in one punch.

If you do that, bees destroy part of brood because they are not able to keep them warm.

Put all brood frames side by side in upper box and the rest frames to the lower box.

Then just wait for summer weathers.

I have done the same several times as you did now but it makes only harm to the colony.

 

[Pete Nicholson]

Thanks for the advice PH. Yes it is a BIG risk but my mentors have said do this and I am a novice so I go with them at the moment. We are so weather dependant but as you say - the girls know what to do and if I lose three frames of partial brood if the cold comes back in then at least I am on my way to having some drawn frames to capitalise on. This is the reason I am so keen to get them drawing as I have no drawn supers or brood to let them get on with what they do best.
Many thanks for the advice.
P.
ps. They are clustering (as seen from the entrance) across all brood frames - solid mass of bees left to right in the early morning before they fly, hence thoughts of overcrowding.

 

[Pete Nicholson]

Thanks for the advice Finman - see above reply to PH.
It is a risk but I'm going for it at the moment.
best regards
P.

 

[VEG]

As you only have 1 hive it is quite a gamble as if it does go wrong you dont have anything to fall back on.

 

[Pete Nicholson]

Yep! but my glass is always half full!
P.

 

[biglongdarren]

am as green as they come about bee keeping and even this sounds strange to me,surely at this time of year your should be worrying about making bees not honey.

 

[Pete Nicholson]

Yes biglongdaren - that is what I am doing. The honey is not an issue.
P.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Pete
you have a pm.

 

[Queens59]

Pete,
I am in Devon also (East)...if you want to compare colonies PM me...Sarah