Is it too early to add a box in Georgia?

[Ziffa]

Hi everybody!

Well the sun has come out in Georgia and we are going to have a beautiful day.  It is still a little chilly and breezy, but I may be able to peak in the hives this afternoon if the temps hold and the wind dies down.. 

My question is, my little yellow hive (8-frame, currently 2 mediums) is bursting at the front door.  just heaps of bees orienting and coming and going.  This queen got a late start but was laying beautiful patterns in late fall.  they seem to have come through ok and are bringing in pollen and very active.  Hive is semi-lite.  We are open feeding on the warm days.

It looks like we'll have above 50 degree days for at least a week, dipping into some freezing over nights near the end of february.  Can I add a box now or is it too soon?  I don't want them to swarm early, but I don't want to give them too much space to warm if we get another cold snap. 

Advice?

Thanks and love,
ziffa

[barry42001]

my first question is do you use 2 brood cambers or 1, how many frames are the bees actually using? If only 1 brood chamber, I would use 2. As they start moving up and brood rearing in brood chamber 2 and colony strength really starts booming, and 75 - 80 percent  of space in both boxes are being used, then add super,  pay attention for potential swarming as unless supering is timed right, you may have to chase half your worker force ...not a desirable thing.

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[iddee]

Heat moves up. Place the next box on bottom. It won't disturb their carefully made nest, but will give them expansion room. You won't even have to break their seal by removing the lid. Just lift both boxes and set the third box on the bottom board. Then when the weather warms, you can put it on top if they haven't used it.

[Ziffa]

Thanks Barry,

This is a baby hive I nursed through winter in just 2 8 frame mediums.  I usually brood in 3 mediums or one deep and one medium.  As it warms up I'll get this colony adjusted properly. Right now I'm trying to just figure out the best next move.

Iddee,

thank you - that's just what I was looking for!  I had thought of that but wasn't sure if it was the right way to go.  At always - looked to you to steer me right.

love,
ziffa

[Woody Roberts]

I'd do like Iddee said. I've found late summer queens will go gangbusters in the spring. They will fill 2 eight frame mediums in a hurry. I'd have another box ready to go as soon as they get going on this one.
I don't know about Georgia but here when the time is right they will explode. Woody

[barry42001]

my thoughts about top brood chamber, is under the premise that it will warm up considerably in the upcoming weeks and the Queen naturally wants to go up.

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[iddee]

I disagree, Barry. The queen wants to be just under the honey. She moves up as the honey stores are removed, either by the beek or by the cluster. She moves back down as the stores come in. The honey is always stored above her brood nest.

[tbonekel]

I disagree, Barry. The queen wants to be just under the honey. She moves up as the honey stores are removed, either by the beek or by the cluster. She moves back down as the stores come in. The honey is always stored above her brood nest.

Ok, if I understand correctly, If there is already brood in several of the frames, put the 2nd box on the bottom? If she then moves down and the above brood emerges, are those cells replaced with stores? It sounds like a good plan, but I'm starting to kind of freak out being my first spring and they are really going nuts right now.

[barry42001]

lol we all sorta do. I made 2 incorrect assumptions when I posted. ,1) the colony was larger population wise then it really was.
2) based on that suggested 2 brood chamber.
The actual strength of the colony and how many frames they cover. That determines coupled with incoming nectar and pollen when more space. As the workers arrange the brood nest honey in  relatively thin row close to top  bar and a like row of pollen. Most rest of frame for brood rearing.  This nuc hasn't achieved this level yet. So single story until they build up quite a bit more.

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[iddee]

Tbone, She is talking about adding a super of open space when it is still cold. Heat rises, so adding empty space on top is dangerous. It will take heat away from the brood nest. Once it warms up, the super can and usually is, added to the top.

[LazyBkpr]

Tbone, She is talking about adding a super of open space when it is still cold. Heat rises, so adding empty space on top is dangerous. It will take heat away from the brood nest. Once it warms up, the super can and usually is, added to the top.

  Thanks Iddee.. I wanted to say something similar but was not sure enough of myself to do it. Sometimes keeping my Yap shut is better than saying something that is wrong.

[Woody Roberts]

If I understand then she has two medium 8 frame boxes. This box she adds will be a brood box and I would think the next one also. At that time you could think about honey supers.

[Ziffa]

Hi everybody!

Thanks for all the posts.  Yes, the is a small hive just getting established.  I really feel like the box on the bottom is the best answer here so that is what I did.  Hopefully it will warm up enough for me to get in and get a good look, but I am the type of beekeeper who likes to disturb them as little as possible in the winter.  I feel like, as Iddee said, the bottom box will give them the space they need for now without me disturbing the brood/cluster area too early.  I can/will rearrange as necessary once the flow is on full force.

The light was in a bad position, but you can kinda see how busy they are in this picture!  of all the hives this one is bringing in the most pollen.  I had to open up their entrance some because they had such a traffic jam!




Thanks again all!  I appreciate the discussion and it helped me with my planning and confidence level!

love,
ziffa