When can I use the super?

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BabyBee

House Bee
Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
128
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Location
Fife, Scotland
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
2
Someone gave me some hive parts. I have scraped away all the gunk, sanded inside and out, blow torched it and have painted the outside of the super (paint from Thornes so I know it's ok for bees).

I'd really like to put the super on tonight as we are having fab weather and I dont want them to be short of space. Do I have to wait a certain period of time before I put the super on - like for it to be exposed to the elements or whatever?

And if so, when can i safely put it on?

PS- it's the scandinavian pine stuff. says touch dry in 2-4 hours but it is so hot today, the first side was practically dry by the time i got to the last side!
 
Get it on as soon as poss , I don’t know your area but down on the south coast I am pulling supers and most have two or three on. If your bees have been on any type of flow they could have back filled the brood box so you best have a look before you add the super and see if they are think about going.

Regards Tony
 
How many frames of brood is there?

No point in putting on a super if there is only 4 frames of brood, wait until 7 frames of brood before adding a super.
 
should there be more?

i got a 3 frame nuc with an unsealed QC on the 23rd May this year.

Did nothing with them other than move them to a BB, added a few more frames and some 1:1 syrup (topped up 3 times since then).

On the 7th June a very expereinced beek came to check them with me. QC was open (didnt see the Q) and stores were coming along. Added remainder of frames and moved a couple around (if I remember rightly). Took 2 QC's away (which emerged as they were being moved and placed into matchboxes).

Went through hive today, fully expecting to see all the frames drawn out and lots of brood.

Was very surprised to see only about 4 of the frames with lots of stores (and 3 of them came from the nuc!). A few bees on the remaining frames, but apparently not doing very much with them and what looked like THREE capped drone cells.

So here's what i did.

Moved 2 undrawn frames nearer into the centre, either side the frame with the capped cells. added the super on the basis of thinking that maybe they can only go UP for some reason - and they have to go through the super to get to the syrup so might decide to use the supers! didnt put the QE on as she cant lay in the super frames anyway as they arent drawn out!

other than that, i just retired politely and asked them to get their skates on!

anything else i could have/should have done?

many thanks

L
 
I still personally think its to early for a super.

A few questions:

How many Brood Frames are yet to be drawn out?

Did you manager to see the queen?

Did you see Eggs?
 
over eager newbie me thinks!

tomorrow i am going to take the super off and remove the syrup - so that they stop adding stores into where the Q needs to lay.

i am hoping that the 3 capped drone cells are the start of the Q laying and by giving them no more syrup, they will eat what they have already stored and give the Q room to lay.

hopefully they'll forgive me for being totally useless!!
 
Sorry baby bee I was under the impression that you was sitting on a established brood box with plenty of bees, you didn’t give the full picture in your fist post, I just seen your other post and it sound like you are in a bit of a pickle.

Take of super and hem the bees in with one spare frame, leave two or three days to see if your friend has left you with a queen, you could try a test frame or buy a nuc that is queen right and combine, I my self if I was convinced the nuc was queen less I would go for a queen right nuc and combine.

Regards Tony
 
thanks tony - feeling calmer today and a bit less stressed about the whole thing - keep everything crossed please!
 

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