Would you take the second super off yet?

[freethorpe bees]

Hi All

I took one super off yesterday and still have another one on the hive. I want to take this off fairly soon as I want to apply Apiguard but there are still loads of bees in the hive. Is it a good idea to 'squash' them into the bb or should I wait for their numbers to decrease?

Thanks for your thoughts (kind ones please...)

FB

 

[VEG]

I would wait being crammed in and then treated cant be too good for them.

 

[666bees]

Wouldn't cramping them up cause them to swarm?

 

[Swarm]

If you want to remove the second super, extract the one you have and return it to them for space while you extract the second.

 

[VEG]

but the poster wants to apply apiguard I wouldnt with a super on the stuff stinks lol

 

[Swarm]

I took one super off yesterday and still have another one on the hive. I want to take this off fairly soon as I want to apply Apiguard but there are still loads of bees in the hive.

Hi Craig,
Yes I noticed the apiguard treatment but with a timescale of 'fairly soon', I thought the easiest option would be give them the space they effectively have at present by returning the extracted first super. At the very least it solves the initial problem.
Because of the Apiguard treatment, I have a super on each hive that always belongs to the bees. I've found that colony size, even a fair way into September, would be very hard to squeeze into the BB. I was struggling with BB and super with one colony last year and they are looking similar this year.

 

[VEG]

As you know I have lots of balsom and didnt trat mine last year until october but the did fine.

 

[oliver90owner]

Loads of bees and a flow = honey being stored.

They will simply store more honey in the fresh super.

First, is there a need for treatment now?

It is yet to be half way through August.

 

[freethorpe bees]

Still plenty of time for apiguard I suppose, with autumns being much milder now.
Thanks for all your thoughts.

 

[Swarm]

Loads of bees and a flow = honey being stored.

They will simply store more honey in the fresh super.

First, is there a need for treatment now?

It is yet to be half way through August.

Yes they will start to fill the returned super and if the flow's a good one, they may even fill it which is a bonus as the other empty super can replace it. I'd do this and wait a while before treating.

 

[drstitson]

treat after removal of last super.

 

[Vergilius]

Tbh, with the milder autumns we are having, I find that you are absolutely fine treating bees with apiguard in September - which I do.

Ben P

 

[user 3204]

Tbh, with the milder autumns we are having, I find that you are absolutely fine treating bees with apiguard in September - which I do.

Ben P

and do so!

 

[freethorpe bees]

Thanks for your replies and advice. I won't be in too much hurry to treat with Apiguard now.

 

[Arfermo]

Yes they will start to fill the returned super and if the flow's a good one, they may even fill it which is a bonus as the other empty super can replace it. I'd do this and wait a while before treating.

It's only a bonus if you can persude them not to bring in ivy nectar. Apiguard in last week of August is best as it is used up when bees are fully active and before balsam flow.

 

[Swarm]

It depends on your location, it'll be weeks before any signs of ivy here. In these parts the bees are merrily working Balsam and will be until late September or even later if previous years are anything to go by and a super that's filled in a week is a very nice bonus.

 

[sjt]

I was wondering about super removal too. This is my first year as a beekeeper and the bees are still packing in the honey (I’m about as far south as you can get in England so still summer here!)
There is still brood in all stages on 9 frames in the brood chamber and I was worried there wouldn’t be enough room for all the bees if I took off the super to treat with Apiguard.
I was going to take off the nearly full super this weekend but not sure whether to replace it with an empty super and leave them a bit until the brood size decreases before treating.
Another query is when treating with Apiguard the inspection tray is left in under the OMF. How often do you remove this to check or is it left unopened the whole treatment period to contain the fumes or do you check after the first 2 week period?
Hope someone can give helpful advice
Sue

 

[Swarm]

Do a check after the initial treatment, before the second dose. Trays in for duration.

As for the super, if you have an empty one (is this comb or foundation) swap it over. There is plenty of time yet, see post by VEG saying he treated in October last year, me too and one colony was only covering four frames. No problems and that colony currently has three fully capped supers on it.

 

[sjt]

Do a check after the initial treatment, before the second dose. Trays in for duration.

As for the super, if you have an empty one (is this comb or foundation) swap it over. There is plenty of time yet, see post by VEG saying he treated in October last year, me too and one colony was only covering four frames. No problems and that colony currently has three fully capped supers on it.

Thanks Swarm for the quick reply.
The second super frames are mainly foundation but I have a couple with some comb.
I must say I'm really pleased with how well the bees have done as I started with a swarm and a brand new hive, foundation only frames, in May this year. It's been a really pleasant start (long may it last!) and I've met some lovely people.