Worldwide Beekeeping
Beekeeping => General Beekeeping => Topic started by: Jen on June 28, 2014, 12:29:19 am
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Do I need to make a decision yet?
The hive on the far left is the one that I put the deep on top to get the bees to fill it out. When it's filled out I want this deep to go on the bottom hopefully before winter, and there it will remain forever... and then I'll have the two mediums on top.
During inspection I didn't get into the bottom medium, bees too cranky. But the deep is about... collectively over a third pulled wax, not eggs whatsoever. The medium directly under the deep is solid honey and some pollen not much, all about half capped.
1. Should I go back in and check the brood box?
2. What would I be checking for?
3. Is there anything I need to do at this point in the season to get the deep on the bottom?
4. Should I feed with three holes to get the deep pulled sooner?
5. What if I put the deep in the middle, and the honey super on top of the deep?
Presently, from bottom to top: medium w/brood, medium full of honey, deep 1/3+ pulled wax
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If you were to rotate the deep to the bottom position, and mediums on top, the Queen will work her way down into it before the end of the year assuming the there are open comb for her to use and there is no substantial honey barrier to cross to get there.
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‘Presently, from bottom to top: medium w/brood, medium full of honey, deep 1/3+ pulled wax’
The medium full of honey in the middle of the stack is going to hurt you to get from the medium with brood, past the full honey super to the deep. Besides that if they draw the deep it will be to pack it with honey, how are you going to move it? I would suggest to reshuffle now so that they can get into a winter configuration and you can keep your back.
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Exactly Minz :) It looks like I have two shuffling options...
1. Place deep in middle = medium brood - deep - medium honey on top, so bees will work up
2. Place deep on bottom = deep - medium brood - medium honey on top, so bees will work down
Does it matter? My goal is to give the bees the best advantage to fill the deep as quickly as possible, summer is half over, need to get that deep full of bees ~
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Place the deep on the bottom, medium w/ brood next, medium w/ honey lasty. but the nectar flows drive the Queen down into the deep, that's the way you keep things organized, better to get it done now then when the Bees are putting honey in it
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That's a good thought Barry, at present, the deep only has pulled wax, no honey and no eggs, so it would be a fresh start :eusa_think:
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place the deep on the bottom the queen will move down to start laying she will not cross the medium full of honey to get to the deep. Just my opinion and what i would do.
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The Deed Is Done!
The deep on bottom, the med with brood, the honey super on the top. I think this was the right decision Thanks!
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deep on the bottom, medium brood box, medium honey, yup.......now that queen has room to expand! ....and feed if necessary to get the rest of the undrawn comb drawn out in that deep jen!
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Ohh, Jen why pray tell do you still have a entrance reducer of any size on your hives...are they really that weak?
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Barry kind Sir.... I can say with pride that they are all strong.
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I run them all year long, even on my production hives. I really dont like the entrances to be that big. The bees don't need a large entrance. Having a small top entrance allows them to ventilate pretty well.. That being said, if I see them bearding badly when its 100 out I might pull the reducers until the temps start to cool down a bit.
Strangely enough, I have good strong hives that seldom beard, even when it is 100 degrees with the reducers on, and other hives not quite as strong that beard with no reducers at 90 degrees.. At which point, I do what I can. Add shims under the inner covers and remove reducers / add space if they are crowded..
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Scott- "At which point, I do what I can. Add shims under the inner covers and remove reducers / add space if they are crowded..
That's the way I do, screen bottom boards
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my hives are strong enough that with the reducers out at the entrance wide open, there's more than bees enough to cover the entrances. down here between heat and humidity, I prefer the bees have as much fanning area as they can. My hives don't beard heavily, but they have plenty of space inside to spread out in, nothing like the sweet, floral smell of curing nectar it there....