What to do with half filled super frames.

[Pbutterworth]

Hi,

one of my hives has a super with half filled frames. Some capped, but lots uncapped. I think I need to remove it and feed the hive up for the winter in the brood box. What can I do with the half filled frames?

Thank
Paul

 

[blackcloud]

You had the intention of taking it so if you still want it you can dry it if it needs to be

 

[drex]

Either move the super to under the brood box or put a crown board with the holes closed down to 2 bee spaces between it and the BB. The bees will move the stores into BB. Might save you having to feed.
You can extract the capped frames if you wish or just bruise the cappings

 

[Pbutterworth]

You had the intention of taking it so if you still want it you can dry it if it needs to be

I don’t necessarily want to take it, I just don’t think it’s a good idea to leave it on over winter as it’s more than ½ empty.

 

[Pbutterworth]

Either move the super to under the brood box or put a crown board with the holes closed down to 2 bee spaces between it and the BB. The bees will move the stores into BB. Might save you having to feed.
You can extract the capped frames if you wish or just bruise the cappings

If I move to under the bb, But guess I put a queen excluder on between it and the bb? Why would they move it up?
Thanks

 

[pargyle]

If I move to under the bb, But guess I put a queen excluder on between it and the bb? Why would they move it up?
Thanks

No queen excluder.
Because bees, generally, prefer their stores above the brood nest rather than beliow it.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Put it under, slot in your inspection tray and reduce the entrance
That way there won’t be any robbers.
Take the super away in a week.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Hi,

one of my hives has a super with half filled frames. Some capped, but lots uncapped. I think I need to remove it and feed the hive up for the winter in the brood box. What can I do with the half filled frames?

Thank
Paul

Check the water content of the uncapped frames with a honey refractometer. You sometimes find it's remarkably low.

 

[BernardBlack]

Put it under, slot in your inspection tray and reduce the entrance
That way there won’t be any robbers.
Take the super away in a week.

Oh, so the bees will take the stores from below (the half-full frame), and take it up and store it in the Brood box above?

Then the super will be free of stores before winter (or, in a week)?

Have I got that right?

 

[Nick Lang]

Oh, so the bees will take the stores from below (the half-full frame), and take it up and store it in the Brood box above?

Then the super will be free of stores before winter (or, in a week)?

Have I got that right?

Yes....It's called "nadiring".....I did it for the first time this year in one of my hives for exactly the same reason the op mentions.

I am curious as to why to bruise up the capped frames????.....what would happen if the stores were capped and left in the super under the BB?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I am curious as to why to bruise up the capped frames????.....what would happen if the stores were capped and left in the super under the BB?

They would still be there in spring

 

[DocMartin]

Have just seen the above thread. I am about to go into my first winter. I have already nadired some supers. I have 2 questions.
1 Should I go back and bruise any remaining capped stores in the nadired supers so they can move it up or can they uncap it themselves?
2 Can the nadired supers be left on over winter to be a form of draughtproofing/insulation?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

yes to both

 

[Erichalfbee]

Though I tend to remove supers after a week to avoid the mouldy frames I tend to get with a bigger hive format.

 

[Erichalfbee]

1 Should I go back and bruise any remaining capped stores in the nadired supers so they can move it up or can they uncap it themselves?

If the bees aren’t busy on the Ivy I would put the inspection tray in for a few days and reduce the entrance.
Bruised frames will attract robbing bees especially if you are on mesh floors

 

[Amari]

Hi,

one of my hives has a super with half filled frames. Some capped, but lots uncapped. I think I need to remove it and feed the hive up for the winter in the brood box. What can I do with the half filled frames?

Thank
Paul

I agree with nadiring the super after bruising the capped stores.

Have you/are you planning to feed syrup or fondant in addition? [most of my hives need autumn feeding and your half-filled super would not be enough]. In which case you could feed syrup, 2lbs sugar:1 pint water, into the super then nadir it. Come the spring it is likely to be empty and free to become a super again above the BB.

NB: if wasps are still around close the hive entrance right down to 1-2 bee spaces.

PS: I seem to remember previously being criticised on this forum for suggesting nadiring a full super, but Hey-Ho!

 

[Erichalfbee]

In which case you could feed syrup, 2lbs sugar:1 pint water, into the super then nadir it. Come the spring it is likely to be empty and free to become a super again above the BB.

This makes the bees fill the super with syrup then move it all up into the brood. Unnecessary work.
By all means nadir the super and leave or remove but feed straight into the brood box.

 

[BernardBlack]

So, with nadiring...

How long would it take the bees to move up stores from the super to the B.B.?

And when the frames in super are cleared, should the super be removed? I assume it would go mouldy during winter?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I assume it would go mouldy during winter

nope - often have quite a few nadired over the winter (saves finding storage space) seldom see much mould

 

[Erichalfbee]

So, with nadiring...

How long would it take the bees to move up stores from the super to the B.B.?

And when the frames in super are cleared, should the super be removed? I assume it would go mouldy during winter?

Pretty quickly if there is space in the brood. I have one super under four days ago and can’t see any bees in it looking up through the mesh floor.
I DO see mould quite often in the two outside frames but then my bees are in 14x12 and in the winter they are pretty high up in the brood box. It might be different in a National