Honeysuckle Hives video update

[Yankee11]

We went into winter with 4 strong hives from this abandoned bee yard that we discovered. Our plan is to split from these 4 hives to get the yard  built back
up with this survivor stock. Put 3 deeps on a couple of them and we are gonna remove one of the deeps and set on a bottom board. Let them raise some queens and hopefully harvest some extra queen cells and also start some nucs. I jus checked the 2 hives with 3 deeps and there is larva in all 3 deeps.

[tefer2]

That's an awful large entrance to your honey supers.
Be on the lookout for them storing more pollen than nectar in your top boxes.
That's what happened when we used that large of an opening.
Also have to consider your supers getting robbed out.
We like video, good job!    

[Jen]

Excellent! I've got one hive now that is using the upper inner board entrance exclusively... so the upper entrance board you have there sounds like a good idea 

[Yankee11]

Just testing it out.

Flow is on heavy right now and we will remove in when flow slows down. I will ply around with opening size a bit. Shut it down a little on some of them.

Running 8 hives with on to see what happens.

Tefer, why would they store pollen up there if there if there is no brood up there? I'll watch for that.

[tefer2]

Just keep an eye on the foragers returning with pollen baskets full.
It has more to do with empty space and easy access than bee brood.
We have had to close off the upper entrance and replace the pollen frames to correct it.

[Yankee11]

Thank you, I'll watch for that.

[Zweefer]

And this is why I love this forum. I learned two things today :-)

[Yankee11]

Well, so far, the hives that I have this upper entrance on into the supers are way out performing the other hives in the same yard.

I installed 2 of these in each yard and all yards so far are having same results. Each hive with these on is about a super ahead of the others.

[Jen]

Thanks for the update Yankee, I'm intrigues with these... uh... upper inner cover entrance boards?   

[Yankee11]

added the 4th super today and they are just now planting the soybeans and cotton.

I am liking these upper entrances. My buddy there is 6ft tall.

[Jen]

Awesome! I'm not able to go that high because I wouldn't be able to get them down. So I'm putting on and taking off one super at a time.