Too much stored honey

[MikeT]

I had a good look today as this is the first warm day we have had. Both my strongest colonies have little room. There is too much store honey and the queen has only a small area in each frame for eggs Brood on 8 frames but the area is about 1/2 the frame. I did move and out side frame which was abut 3/4 empty neared the frames with eggs and have moved a full fr3ame of honey to the outside. The other colony is similar with little space left. Should I give them a super as I intend to use a B and 1/2 with both these colonies?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Drawn super underneath?

 

[Finman]

.
Errrrr

 

[Finman]

.
Wash couple of frames empty with warm water and hive will have more space.
That honey is really expencive because it stops your hives buildup. Extremely expencive, indeed.
That is emercency case.
Then offer couple of foundations.

.when you add a super, bees are not able to handle it because they cannot keep it warm.

Your hive will be soon weak, when winter bees die and hive has too few brood to emerge.

You try to save 10 pounds honey and you loose 300

 

[Hawklord]

Is it capped honey, mine have fresh nectar going in? It's still a little cold at night to be adding an empty box above, but a second brood box under will give them plenty of space.

 

[BrianO]

I have same dilemma... But will they use Nadired ( woo !! ) super for brood or honey storage ?

 

[Erichalfbee]

They won't store honey under the brood. That's why beekeepers put uncapped stores under in the autumn for the bees to move up.
I would have thought that if there is no room up top the queen would lay in the shallow under.
Taking a frame of stores off and giving back empty as Finman suggests might work too. Put it next to the brood nest.

 

[Finman]

I have same dilemma... But will they use Nadired ( woo !! ) super for brood or honey storage ?

It is better now use free combs for brood, and not to trust that bees move crystallized stores nicely to the super. They will not do that. Stupid vain work.

 

[BrianO]

So ... As do not have drawn empty comb, would it be a good idea to put an undrawn frame in say 2 or 3 frames out from centre or perhaps 2 undrawn frames one either side ?

Hope you don't mind Mike me adding to your post but believe it is on same theme as your original post so might help you also

 

[Finman]

.
It seems, that guys have not foundations either.

Difficult to meet spring

 

[BrianO]

Wha ??

" Guy " here ...Have assembled spare foundation frames... Year 2 so no spare DRAWN foundation brood frames, limited DRAWN super frames... But that is a symptom of being at the start of Year 2 .....No Biggy !

Next year will be in a different position .

So back to the original question ....

 

[Bee Bob Delux]

First full inspection today 20c Queen laying, capped brood but I have the same problem!!!

I've have moved the less full outer two frames next to brood & removed two frames full of honey & replaced with foundation. There are another six chock full, lovely to see but the wrong time of year!

Finman thanks for the tip ~I'll rinse out & replace the drawn combs. As you say I have noticed numbers reducing already...

I've also put a super above with insulation on crown, weather forecast is good here for a few days...hope they will move some up above :-/ should I remove?

Is there any thing else I can do?

 

[Finman]

.
Advice to next summer:

Extract you honey yield that it is not blocking next spring hives.

Let the bees draw so much brood combs, that you are not in trouple in spring.

Constrict your hives for winter do proper, that hives have not douple amount of stores in spring.

Yes, I have meet this proplem too. Old friend, I could say. To handle crystallised honey boxes is not fun at all.

 

[BrianO]

Thanks Finman

 

[oliver90owner]

I am expecting most of these colonies with no space with only 4 frames of brood were fed fondant over the winter?

Ho, hum. Not been reading the right posts on the forum. Been following the advice of the habitual over-feeders?

Removing and washing out honey is extreme. Better to give a single frame of foundation with time for them to use it. Its called beekeeping where the beek thinks ahead.

 

[Bee Bob Delux]

 

[Obee1]

Yeh I'm guilty of leaving too much honey on over winter. Trouble is as a newbie I thought more was good. Lesson learned for next year. And I could have eaten that honey. Grrr

 

[MikeT]

It was the mild autumn and a flow from mustard which carried on until mid to end of November which caused me the problem. I extracted one super and they filled another in a week. The honey was so foul that I let them keep it. Fortunately I did not feed the strongest hives. The farm is planting another 50 acres this autumn again within 100 yds of the hives.

 

[Finman]

Removing and washing out honey is extreme. Better to give a single frame of foundation with time for them to use it. .

Better and better, but as I understand, that guys do not even have foundations.

4 frame brood hive is small. To give empty super box and bees move stores? That is out of reality.

I wonder what is so painfull to wash few kilos from combs. With the price of sugar it is worth of 4 pounds.

In other cases guys are ready to melt combs and honey in a pan and feed back valuable stuff.
Others are going to extract crystallized last year honey. Everything seems to be possible.

Bailey excange is recommend when guys are ready to destroy the whole brood nest. What heck is that?
.

 

[Finman]

It was the mild autumn and a flow from mustard which carried on until mid to end of November which caused me the problem. I extracted one super and they filled another in a week. The honey was so foul that I let them keep it. Fortunately I did not feed the strongest hives. The farm is planting another 50 acres this autumn again within 100 yds of the hives.

Try to make big hives. Use douple brood. Let them draw several boxes of foundations, and take care that you have extra brood combs too. They are needed.

I loose brood combs different way and I must have brood combs in store. I use brood frames in supers too, and I have no need of emergency frame change.

Brood frames will be destroyed in different ways
- they become old/black
- break in excrations
- molded or mice eaten in winter
- nosema poo or dead bees in combs after winter.
- too much drone cells

I use to let them draw 2-3 boxes per summer. First opportunity is that I give foundations to AS. A big AS draw two boxes of foundations in a week.

I use super combs as brood combs if needed.

Bee flexiple to your self, and do not follow strictly someone's "method".
Use your branes and beekeeping will give more pleasure.