What to do next? Do they need frames?

[Daz]

I took the supers off two national hives Friday, extracted and gave the bees the supers to clean, yesterday i prepared to feed for winter preparation, however started to empty the super of the licked clean foundation to be suprised to find that they had started to store patches of honey again.

Paranoid of giving them a fighting chance over winter, should i leave the super on for a while (thinking ivy is in bloom) or remove it so they can start preparing for winter, both hives were the same.....

This is inexperience for you and apologies if this sounds stupid to the more experienced

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

As with many - you've been taking too much heed of those who believe winter starts in August.

IT'S WAY TOO EARLY TO START WINTER FEEDING NOW!​

When you say you put the supers back did you just replace or did you separate them from the colony with a crownboard with an open hole? so that they were 'outside' the hive and the bees would 'rob' the honey back to the brood nest. If you just put them back then they would continue to fill them - there's quite a bit of forage out there still.
Try and consolidate the frames with stores in to one super and put directly above the brood nest above the queen excluder, then a crown board and the other super above that (preferably on top of yet another super) they should then clean that super. mid September, if the super is full and capped again you have a choice - either a second extraction or remove the QX and leave the super on for winter stores. If the super has some stores but not fit for extraction then put it under the brood box so they can move the stores up to the brood box if they chose to - at the same time consider whether they need extra feeding after varroa treatment.
Next year, you might think of extracting a little later (all depending on weather etc.) You might laso consider storing your supers 'wet' far less hassle and faff - people should wake up to this. Just take your supers after extraction and either seal each one up in a strong plastic bag and leave them somewhere sheltered but exposed to the cold or stack the supers up with a blank board under and on top cinched up tight with a couple of hive straps so they are sealed - you can even then just leave them outside with a roof on top.

 

[Daz]

As with many - you've been taking too much heed of those who believe winter starts in August.

IT'S WAY TOO EARLY TO START WINTER FEEDING NOW!​

When you say you put the supers back did you just replace or did you separate them from the colony with a crownboard with an open hole? so that they were 'outside' the hive and the bees would 'rob' the honey back to the brood nest. If you just put them back then they would continue to fill them - there's quite a bit of forage out there still.
Try and consolidate the frames with stores in to one super and put directly above the brood nest above the queen excluder, then a crown board and the other super above that (preferably on top of yet another super) they should then clean that super. mid September, if the super is full and capped again you have a choice - either a second extraction or remove the QX and leave the super on for winter stores. If the super has some stores but not fit for extraction then put it under the brood box so they can move the stores up to the brood box if they chose to - at the same time consider whether they need extra feeding after varroa treatment.
Next year, you might think of extracting a little later (all depending on weather etc.) You might laso consider storing your supers 'wet' far less hassle and faff - people should wake up to this. Just take your supers after extraction and either seal each one up in a strong plastic bag and leave them somewhere sheltered but exposed to the cold or stack the supers up with a blank board under and on top cinched up tight with a couple of hive straps so they are sealed - you can even then just leave them outside with a roof on top.

Thanks for that, just developed a wealth of additional knowledge and your experience is welcomed, i did just replace it....., it was my first year last year and extracted around this time and didnt come across this scenario. You are right there is still forage about and looking at a non producing hive in the garden this morning they are extremely busy, never considered storing them wet, something to consider for next year..... Thanks

 

[enrico]

It may be too early for winter feeding but beware, mine are eating stores quicker than they are collecting them so be prepared to give SOME food if necessary!

 

[Daz]

It may be too early for winter feeding but beware, mine are eating stores quicker than they are collecting them so be prepared to give SOME food if necessary!

Will keep my eye on them, just confused me that they carried on, didnt know if because they had cleaned the foundation they were storing the excess.... Thanks

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

It may be too early for winter feeding but beware, mine are eating stores quicker than they are collecting them so be prepared to give SOME food if necessary!

Quite - mine had all stores in supers and little or none in brood boxes - therefore removing the supers for honey would have left them with next to nothing if no feed was given. Like enrico mine appear to be consuming more than they are retrieving, so I've started my winter feed but will make sure there is plenty of space for brood and any incoming nectar. Will complete it in a month or so.