Winter disruption

[Clemcook]

Hi

I want to go into my hives and remove a few empty super frames (on top of brood box) to replace with some full ones or put fondant on the top bars.

I've not gone in over winter before and an concerned about the disruption this may cause?

Thanks

 

[pargyle]

Hi

I want to go into my hives and remove a few empty super frames (on top of brood box) to replace with some full ones or put fondant on the top bars.

I've not gone in over winter before and an concerned about the disruption this may cause?

Thanks

Take the whole super off, put the fondant (if they actually need feeding - they should really have been fed syrup to the point they are heavy by now) on top of the top bars with either an eke or a crown board with a rim. Insulation under the roof ... put the super in storage. Perhaps, in future, if you have super like this at the end of the season think about nadiring it so that the bees can move the stores up into the brood box. Might be a bit late to nadir it now but you really don't want a lot of empty space on top of the broodbox with the cold weather we've had here in the Costa del Fareham for the last few days .. (all relative of course ... nothing like the cold further North)

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hi

I want to go into my hives and remove a few empty super frames (on top of brood box) to replace with some full ones or put fondant on the top bars.

I've not gone in over winter before and an concerned about the disruption this may cause?

Thanks

How are there empty frames in the super? Are there bees up there eating the stores? If so then leave it there.
If you’ve left a half empty super on top on purpose then do as pargyle says and take it off putting fondant on the top bars in an eke

 

[Clemcook]

Thanks,

There are various reasons I decided not to nadir this year, from my hefting they should be heavy enough however I am just a bit paranoid, plus there is some empty frames in the super.

I don't have an eke as they are poly and I'm not much of a DIY'er. I will put an empty super on top put the fondant on top of the top bars and fill with some insulation

 

[Swarm]

There are SOME empty frames, if you have some spare full ones, just replace them. If you muck about removing the super, fitting an eke with fondant and then the super, you could do far more harm than good.
I'm assuming the empty ones are the outer ones? Shouldn't take long at all.

Edit: If you need to feed fondant later, you can put it on the super top bars with an eke around it, that's if they need need any.

 

[Clemcook]

There are SOME empty frames, if you have some spare full ones, just replace them. If you muck about removing the super, fitting an eke with fondant and then the super, you could do far more harm than good.
I'm assuming the empty ones are the outer ones? Shouldn't take long at all.

Edit: If you need to feed fondant later, you can put it on the super top bars with an eke around it, that's if they need need any.

This is my worry, being too invasive.

I don't have enough spare full frames to make a complete super, I might take out the empty ones, put fondant on the top bars below in the brood box and fill the space with insulation?

Yes, the full ones are in the outside.

 

[pargyle]

This is my worry, being too invasive.

I don't have enough spare full frames to make a complete super, I might take out the empty ones, put fondant on the top bars below in the brood box and fill the space with insulation?

Yes, the full ones are in the outside.

What make of poly hives are they ? If they are Paynes I have one of their Poly crown boards ...brand new not been used.

https://www.paynesbeefarm.co.uk/polystyrene-national-hive/poly-crownboard-with-porter-escapes/

Which you can either borrow or take it and buy me a new one in the Paynes January Poly sales, will probably be about £15 then - very useful for all sorts of things.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Are there bees in the super?

 

[Poly Hive]

Your worries about disruption are needless.

Mobus opened colonies all winter with no losses he said and so did Jeffries. Admittedly they were very competent but we are talking five minutes here tops.

As for ekes, four bits of wood makes one.

PH

 

[masterBK]

quite possible in two minutes . There is probably no brood so a couple of minutes disruption not really a problem. Don't even need to light a smoker at this time of year.

 

[Clemcook]

What make of poly hives are they ? If they are Paynes I have one of their Poly crown boards ...brand new not been used.

https://www.paynesbeefarm.co.uk/polystyrene-national-hive/poly-crownboard-with-porter-escapes/

Which you can either borrow or take it and buy me a new one in the Paynes January Poly sales, will probably be about £15 then - very useful for all sorts of things.

Thank you, I did not realise this was avalible from Payne's, hopefully this will save me so much hassle!

Your offer is so kind thank you, but I happen to be traveling that way next week so will pick a couple up

 

[Clemcook]

Thanks, I'll get the Payne's crown boards and take off the super, hopefully this will sort it if I get some fondant in