Wintering bees

fenster · 2025-01-23T10:40:33+0000

I have 2 hives which both have two deep brood boxes each. When I opened the hives last week to do Oxalic acid treatment I noticed that on one, the colony is concentrated in the lower box and in the other in the upper box. Is that significant either now or for later when the colony starts to increase? I'm guessing it is to do with where the stores are because the box I had to remove was light. I didn't disturb the hive with the bees on top.

jenkinsbrynmair · 2025-01-23T10:55:06+0000

why did you have to remove the box?

wilvaughan18 · 2025-01-23T12:33:54+0000

I tend to also use a brood box and a stores chamber for getting them through winter, like jenkinsbrynmair, curious why you opened the box? Even if I think that I might have a lost colony I don't open up as there is nothing I can really do, the only advantages are that I know and I can clean the boxes earlier. The disadvantage is that they would have been fine, but not now I have broken the seals and shocked them. If you are curious, a perspex crown board is good so you can see in the hive without opening.

Macbear · 2025-01-23T15:48:14+0000

wilvaughan18 said:
I tend to also use a brood box and a stores chamber for getting them through winter,

My way, too. It starts with the strict principle that the first super belongs to the bees - as there's plenty of OSR around me and it flowers pretty early. OSR is of more use to them than to me. Later, they clean out any wet supers from which a harvest was taken and extra feed can be available when the hive is in winter configuration from late September.
Clearing up in my garage, this afternoon, I discovered some perspex - hopefully I will have opportunity to use it for crown boards in the near future as that has been a dream for a year, but other things have taken precedence.