Author Topic: Starting Pre Fall Inspections Hive #4 (Read 8162 times)

Jen · « **on:** August 23, 2014, 10:23:43 pm »

What to do about this configuration? scratching head.

Medium solid honey
Medium solid brood
Deep empty except small base ball size of brood in middle

Furthest one to the left

TOP MEDIUM
Solid honey, not nearly as much Ruby honey left in storage here, not like a month ago!

bees have been eating it and back filling with nectar and capping. NICE! But I really had to jostle these frames to get them unhooked, honey gone wild. Because we are still in a flow I'll put on another medium, it will not be pulled frames tho, but I'll take what I can get.

MIDDLE MEDIUM
Solid capped brood/larvae and one complete frame of pure honey no Ruby in site, traded it with a new frame and ran it into the freezer for ME! clapclapclap

DEEP
Empty of brood, has been all summer except two frames in the middle with a small patch of fresh capped brood in the center soft ball size. Has some pulled frames. Pretty good amount of uncapped pollen.

I was also able to find one other med frame of pure honey in the top medium, it's in the freezer as well. Now, tell me if this frame looks like pure honey, I nipped some of the caps and it oozed out very golden color. Would sugar syrup turn a dark golden color?

iddee · « **Reply #1 on:** August 23, 2014, 10:41:29 pm »

I would not add a super. They will push her into the deep when they need more room.

Yes, it's spring or last year's honey, made before they hit the bird feeders.

Jen · « **Reply #2 on:** August 23, 2014, 10:46:42 pm »

K Iddee, but I was thinking if the honey super is full to the brim and more is coming in daily, we are in a good flow, that I would add a super for more honey

iddee · « **Reply #3 on:** August 23, 2014, 10:57:48 pm »

They will ALWAYS place the brood under and inside the honey. As the nectar comes in, they move the brood nest down. As it is used , they will move the nest up. If you keep adding to the top, they will never use the deep.

Jen · « **Reply #4 on:** August 23, 2014, 11:07:27 pm »

So leave this configuration alone then? from here thru winter?

pistolpete · « **Reply #5 on:** August 23, 2014, 11:47:50 pm »

figure out from locals how much honey you need for the winter. I'm guessing 1 full medium and a few partial frames below is enough in your climate. That's the equivalent of about 60 lbs. I winter with about 100 to 120 lbs, but your winter is almost two months shorter. I think that you are in a good position to collect some sort of fall harvest. Again, not sure what your flows are like, but up here my bees generally pull in about 20 Lbs of honey per hive in the month of september, even though there seems to be very little blooming.

I would employ a strategy like this: take 3 frames out of the middle of the top medium box, mark them and store them. Insert 3 partially drawn frames or extracted frames and mark them. Check at the end of september and maybe you'll have 3 capped frames of fall honey to extract and replace with the original frames.

Your situation is complicated because you were feeding to draw comb. My opinion is that because you're not selling it, as long as it tastes good, who cares if there is a bit of sugar syrup in the honey.

iddee · « **Reply #6 on:** August 24, 2014, 05:56:34 am »

I would leave it alone for now. Things can change between now and winter.

Jen · « **Reply #7 on:** August 24, 2014, 02:42:05 pm »

Iddee- "I would leave it alone for now. Things can change between now and winter.

Okay! I like that idea and understand what you are explaining to me

Pete- I would employ a strategy like this: take 3 frames out of the middle of the top medium box, mark them and store them. Insert 3 partially drawn frames or extracted frames and mark them. Check at the end of september and maybe you'll have 3 capped frames of fall honey to extract and replace with the original frames.

Love this idea. However, I don't have any free pulled med frames, they are all occupied. I fed all summer to get my four hives fully pulled. It worked, but I don't have any extra. I would be inserting new frame/foundations. However! I do have the two med honey frames in the freezer that I pulled out two days ago. I could extract those today, mark them, then put them back in wet?

Garden Hive · « **Reply #8 on:** August 24, 2014, 04:31:55 pm »

I'll second Iddee- leave it as is.

As is.....is 9 frames of brood in the middle. 1 fresh frame they can fill.
Emerging bees will back fill where they came out of(middle frames), thus keeping the Queen down in the deep where she has already moved (ball size of brood in deep).
Best scenario she lays plenty down below and they fill the middle(med) and outer frames of the deep. Then you could take the top(med) off and hang on to it...if needed for feed return it, if not, it's yours!

my .02 Tim

Jen · « **Reply #9 on:** August 26, 2014, 02:26:55 pm »

If this hive has all the frames pulled, a full medium of stores above the brood box, should I keep feeding? There is still a flow on

Riverrat · « **Reply #10 on:** August 26, 2014, 04:44:56 pm »

If all the foundation is pulled and the hive is up to a good weight. Kick them off the handouts and let them get there own groceries for awhile.

Jen · « **Reply #11 on:** August 26, 2014, 05:36:47 pm »

That's what I'm thinkin' Rat! Yeeeah.. there's no moving that puppy

CpnObvious · « **Reply #12 on:** August 27, 2014, 02:09:42 pm »

Jen,

1) I wish I had the issue of having frames of solid honey. I feel for ya.
2) What's up with the tinfoil over your feeder jars?

Jen · « **Reply #13 on:** August 27, 2014, 03:03:38 pm »

Cpn- Not wanting to go back and read the whole thread, I'll shoot from here. I think I have three mediums filled with honey or Rudy syrup. As each two week inspection goes by I'm seeing much much more honey replacing the ruby syrup. I'm Stoked!

You don't have any frames with filled honey yet?

The tin foil is to deflect the heat of the sun from the water in the boardman feeders. This is how I'm keeping water for the bees during Calif severe drought. It works great. If the foil is not on the jar the water gets very hot, and takes a long time to cool down in the evening. When the foil is on, the water only gets warm and the bees can still take it.

CpnObvious · « **Reply #14 on:** August 27, 2014, 03:33:05 pm »

not a single full frame :(

I have the rainbows on most of my frames... maybe 1 frame nearly full. I didn't inspect this past weekend, but will be checking things out tomorrow with the inspector... We'll see after that.

Jen · « **Reply #15 on:** August 27, 2014, 04:10:50 pm »

Bummer Cpn- Is that one deep? Do you know how to make fondant?

It will be interesting to hear what your inspector has to say.

CpnObvious · « **Reply #16 on:** August 28, 2014, 08:44:49 am »

Yes, deeps. All 3 hives are made up of 2 deeps. Someone here posted their recipe for fondante... I'll have to find it to make it. Inspection is this afternoon... I'll update tonight or tomorrow.

Jen · « **Reply #17 on:** August 28, 2014, 11:54:06 am »

Our friend here in town has a deep and one medium, the med full of honey. He is disappointed that the bees didn't fill another med for himself. I keep telling him it's the Calif drought that he should be beaming that the bees were able to make enough stores to get themselves thru the winter ~ i'ts easy to loose my patients with this beek

riverbee · « **Reply #18 on:** August 28, 2014, 08:56:01 pm »

jen to capn~
"You don't have any frames with filled honey yet? "

capn~
"not a single full frame :(
I have the rainbows on most of my frames... maybe 1 frame nearly full."
"All 3 hives are made up of 2 deeps. Someone here posted their recipe for fondante... I'll have to find it to make it."

capn, my two cents, you have italians and an italian queen. the italian queens will lay prolifically late in the season, (this requires resources) so quite possibly why you are seeing the 'rainbows' on your frames. if you are not feeding you probably should be, and not rely on any flow. with italians, i would definitely feed and would definitely add extra feed for them for winter. these are first year hives and behind the game a bit.......

for me, keeping italians are a winter challenge here and not a good choice really for our winter climate. although gentle, good honey producers, they are not too 'winter smart' compared to carnis or russians.

definitely plan on winter feed for them.....

CpnObvious · « **Reply #19 on:** August 29, 2014, 10:28:00 am »

River,
Yes, my bees had a late start and have much work to do to make up for lost time. They are definitely progressing (based on yesterday's inspections wit hthe bee inspector. One of the hives had about 2 frames of syrup and nectar. Goldenrod nectar is what the inspector said. I have been feeding them all summer and will continue to feed them right through the winter. Syrup for now, fondante and pollen patties for the winter. The only hive he had any real concerns with was my Hive #2, and I'll be requeening that this weekend as well as consolidating the best frames together. Strange... this had been my middle-best hive out of the 3... Ken referred to it as my weak hive! Understandable so, though. Details on that are in this thread: http://www.worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/index.php/topic,2429.0.html