Too many stores left after winter

[Griffo]

I can’t remember having this problem before, so a little guidance would be appreciated. I seem to have come through winter with the 4 hives I started off with and all are looking healthy with laying queens. Trouble is they have all got rather a lot of stores and could soon be running out of space if the warm weather continues. I have rearranged some of the frames to provide more laying space but if the girls carry on bringing in fresh nectar those full, capped frames are going to sit there forever. Currently on single brood National.

 

[Finman]

capped frames are going to sit there forever. Currently on single brood National.

First, how many capped food frames you have in the 10 frame box?

Take the extra store off from the hive and give room for brood and pollen.

If you make an artificial swarm some day, you can give 3 capped frames to the swarm with foundations. A week later 3 frames are filled with brood and foundations have been drawn.

To your original hive. When you add second brood box, put under the brood. Put two frames capped frames in the middle of the new box, 4 foundations and ready combs. Bees clean the capped frames and eat and what ever they do to the capped food.

But before you add a new box, take extra food frames off and let the bees occupy the combs.
Keep always two full frames of food for the hive. Then in later in summer put the frames into circulation and use swappind method with double brood system.
.

 

[blackcloud]

Don't jump the gun- the weather is set to turn shite again from halfway into this week.
Better to overfeed than to starve.
If they were that tight for space they'd be filling bracecomb.

 

[Finman]

Better to overfeed than to starve.

You can always take off the extra store frames and give to the hive, which consumes more.

 

[Nannysbees]

I can’t remember having this problem before, so a little guidance would be appreciated. I seem to have come through winter with the 4 hives I started off with and all are looking healthy with laying queens. Trouble is they have all got rather a lot of stores and could soon be running out of space if the warm weather continues. I have rearranged some of the frames to provide more laying space but if the girls carry on bringing in fresh nectar those full, capped frames are going to sit there forever. Currently on single brood National.

Sounds like the same scenario as us although our four are a brood and a half. We have taken the end brood frame out as it was stored full of fondant and replaced with foundation.

 

[Finman]

I can’t remember having this problem before,

It is nothing problem.

 

[elainemary]

First, how many capped food frames you have in the 10 frame box?

Take the extra store off from the hive and give room for brood and pollen.

If you make an artificial swarm some day, you can give 3 capped frames to the swarm with foundations. A week later 3 frames are filled with brood and foundations have been drawn.

To your original hive. When you add second brood box, put under the brood. Put two frames capped frames in the middle of the new box, 4 foundations and ready combs. Bees clean the capped frames and eat and what ever they do to the capped food.

But before you add a new box, take extra food frames off and let the bees occupy the combs.
Keep always two full frames of food for the hive. Then in later in summer put the frames into circulation and use swappind method with double brood system.
.

Why do you put foundation in bottom box - wouldn’t it get drawn better in the top box where warmest?

If put capped frames in the new box below, is there a risk the bees will move old winter stores with syrup / varroa treated, up into a super, if it has one on as well?

Can you explain your frame circulation method later on - is this a Demaree?

 

[Griffo]

First, how many capped food frames you have in the 10 frame box?

Take the extra store off from the hive and give room for brood and pollen.

If you make an artificial swarm some day, you can give 3 capped frames to the swarm with foundations. A week later 3 frames are filled with brood and foundations have been drawn.

To your original hive. When you add second brood box, put under the brood. Put two frames capped frames in the middle of the new box, 4 foundations and ready combs. Bees clean the capped frames and eat and what ever they do to the capped food.

But before you add a new box, take extra food frames off and let the bees occupy the combs.
Keep always two full frames of food for the hive. Then in later in summer put the frames into circulation and use swappind method with double brood system.
.

Very helpful, thanks. Winter returns next week so I’d best leave things as they are for now but as soon as we’ve got a bit more forage about, I’ll take the frames out and store them

 

[Finman]

Why do you put foundation in bottom box - wouldn’t it get drawn better in the top box where warmest?

If put capped frames in the new box below, is there a risk the bees will move old winter stores with syrup / varroa treated, up into a super, if it has one on as well?

Can you explain your frame circulation method later on - is this a Demaree?

You must evaluate, how much the colony consumes old honey or sugar syrup. There must be allways 2 weeks food for bad weeks.

Circulation means that frames will be consumed evenly, when you swap them.

I do not force bees to draw foundattions.
I keep all brood frames in compact space.
If foundations are in spring in upper box, heat escapes from brood to empty space.

 

[hemo]

It is still only March, a false spring can soon change things if the weather changes for a month.