Too many bees?

[Elaine]

Hi - This is my first season - and I was expecting the number of bees in the colony to be reducing by now - I know my area is late to stop foraging as we have heather and ivy, but the main colony has 2 supers on and is packed full of bees except for a few of the outer frames on the supers. The bees have plenty of stores, but are not capping the honey, in fact they seem to have uncapped some. (Not an issue for me as I've taken about 4 frames off which did get mostly capped - just so I could have a taste this year ) Just over a week ago at inspection there were larvae of different ages, but I didn't see eggs, (does not mean there weren't any - still not an expert at this!) but did see the queen. Inspection this weekend was aborted due to uncharacteristicly very bad tempered bees.

When would you expect to see a reduction in bee numbers?

 

[BeeNice]

hi, depends on the number of bees you had to start with. I haven't notice a reduction in bees yet, but it will happen as the weather gets colder and the older bees start to die off. You will see new bees coming out for training flights on warm days, but the queen will stop laying soon if not already stopped, so no eggs. Its very hard to judge the number of bees in a hive anyway, depends on time of day, weather, when you are inspecting the bees etc
The bees do get bad tempered this time of year. Don't worry about uncapped stores the bees will cap when they can. You should be looking to get the stores up so the bees can overwinter and check that they have enough. You know the hive is queen right which is good. Make sure you have removed the QX and just give the bees a bit of time to themselves, you don't need to go into the hive anymore as long as you are happy with the varroa treatment to have given. Try helfing the hive to gauge how much stores they have.
regards
Steven

 

[Skyhook]

Hi Elaine

I'm not sure if you can have too many bees. The stronger the colony, the better they tend to overwinter.

I see you still have 2 supers on. You do need to decide what format you're overwintering on- brood box only, or brood-box plus super. You certainly don't want more than one super, so you can either take both supers off and extract, or take one off and extract, or take one off and give it to the other hive (you don't mention supers on that), then feed both hives until they stop taking it.

If you want to extract but they have uncapped stores, take a frame out, hold it horizontal over the hive, and give it a sharp shake. If you can shake drops out, it's not ready. If it stays in the cells, it is.

 

[richardbees]

Elaine

good answer from Skyhook....you have to remove those supers and get the colony ready for over wintering.

 

[Perry]

If you leave one super on, why remove the QE? What happens in the spring when you want the queen in the brood box?

 

[BKF Admin]

If you leave the QE on then the bees will move up into the super over winter and leave the queen behind.

You would be Queenless come spring..

 

[Perry]

How do you get the queen back into the brood box in the spring?

 

[mexbigshow]

How do you get the queen back into the brood box in the spring?

find her and put her back then put qe back in place, easier said than done in some cases but there won't be as many bees to search through

 

[Skyhook]

How do you get the queen back into the brood box in the spring?

If, after feeding, you put the super underneath, chances are by spring they will have worked their way up into the brood box and the queen will be busy in there.

 

[BeeNice]

"chances are by spring they will have worked their way up into the brood box and the queen will be busy in there."but not certain, you will still have to find her. You can put on the QX and as long as the queen is laying see which box you have new eggs. No eggs above the QX, queen below, eggs above the qx and you will have to find her and move her down. The eggs above will develope as normal.
regards
Steven

 

[kazmcc]

We still have a shed load of bees in our hive. I was supposed to extract today but someone didn't book the room. I was wondering, will there be enough room on brood and a half once I've taken the two supers away? Sorry to jump in, but I think the question is relevant to the OP. I hope you agree Elaine

 

[Elaine]

No problem with you 'jumping in' - my concern, like yours - is about there being enough room for them all 'below' if I put the clearing board in between the supers. My intention would be to leave them with one super of stores. Also, we haven't done the veroa treatment yet - that will probably be this weekends task. (Doing it late as heather has only just finished.)

 

[Hebeegeebee]

In my experience undersupering results in an empty super in the spring that can be removed and all the bees are in the brood box.

You really need to get any honey off you want to eat and then treat for varroa.


Elaine I have sent you a pm.


Adam

 

[BeeNice]

My intention would be to leave them with one super of stores.
Hi Elaine
You will have one super yes, but you will also have a brood box of stores as well.
Steven

 

[kazmcc]

You are in the same position as me then Elaine, only we are brood and a half....the half bit being full of capped stores with only one mid frame being used for a tiny bit of brood. We will be taking the two honey supers off, and leaving them with the brood and a half so I don't forsee any stores problems going into winter. We really need to treat though, but they are still in full flow here, even the brood box is packed!. It's hard to know what to do, but I am concerned with the dropping of temps so I'm biting the bullet and treating on Monday.

 

[drstitson]

kaz - why so long a wait until extraction? unless you have a specific local flow eg heather then most will have removed and extracted and be well on in treatment by now. the delay also makes it more of an effort for the girls to prepare any feed you give them for storage. probably also good idea to be providing syrup at this time too as it probably helps dilute the ivy.

 

[kazmcc]

Extracting isn't my department. It was supposed to be taken off yesterday, but some didn't book the room in time. I am not going to feed as the shallow super is almost fully capped stores, and they have a huge amount of capped stores in the deep brood too. I intended feeding when I removed the supers, but had second thoughts as they seem to have stored ample. Ours are not bringing in ivy, it's bright orange pollen still, which they favoured over the balsam this year! I hardly saw and shrouded bees at all this year. I am starting treating next week, Monday, am I going about it the right way? With all that stored, I would need another super on for them to store the feed, if you get my meaning as there is nowhere else in the brood for them to use a feed. It's been this way since the honey blocked situation, wall to wall stores. Not that I'm complaining....

 

[alanf]

Ours are not bringing in ivy, it's bright orange pollen

So are mine, almost dayglow orange. Anybody got an idea what it is?

 

[kazmcc]

I have no idea, but it must be good stuff and they've been on it a while too. Dayglow describes it perfectly.

 

[BeeNice]

Hi, may be wrong with this but if you treat once for varroa, not twice you can always treat with OxAcid during the winter. Thats what I'm going to do as my bees are always very later taking in extra stores from the HB which is still going strong. Am also feeding to build stores but once the weather changes and they have enough will stop feeding.
Steven