Couple more questions

[Gary Baisa]

Hi Team,


1). I pulled my supers off a, in my eyes, a very large colony. The colony consists of 2 deep boxes. The bees were everywhere. I need to feed them so I don’t want to put another super back on there to give them room. Will they be fine?

2) Is anyone feeding there colonies pollen substitute? Some of my colonies have bee bread present and some dont’? Feed the ones that don’t?

3) I pulled all my supers because I need to start feeding syrup so they have enough stores for the winter. What does everyone do with their half finished frames, nector-filled frames, etc.


Thanks

Gary

[Greg V]

1) We still have 2-3 weeks of good Goldenrod flow - you want to maximise that intake before you flood them with the syrup (it will not be late). I'd put a super with empty combs right back.

2) We have so much natural pollen available to us here and now - why would you do a pollen substitute (which is also a potential source of the SBH)? If anything - pollen is always available in our locality and rather creates issues of plugged frames often.

3) I would instead give them the space to store and dry the nectar - at least a partial super - it is trivial to have them whatever honey they collected now, take it all down into the nest later. Taking the supers off was rushed.

Let the bees work on the Goldenrod/Aster flow.

It is too early to be helping them.

Regroup in 2-3 weeks.

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[Gary Baisa]

1) this is for honey collection?  Not for store for winter.  It wont be too cold for them dry down syrup by then?  

2) I didnt see them bringing in pollen this morning.  Also, i don’t remember seeing pillen in 1 of the colonies?  I’ll hold off on the substitute.  What is SBH?  

3). Ill throw one back on.  

Thanks

Gary

Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 4, 2024, at 3:29 PM, Greg V <voro...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Greg V]

1) you have "huge" summer workforce that will be dead in a month - use them bees to the max before they are all dead;
you want the nectar in your hive - not left in the field to be wasted;

once the nectar is in your hive - you have a good problem on hand, not a bad problem;

sufficient workforce will dry and cap that nectar in mere days - the weather is still good for this.

2) they will bring pollen as long they need it - not enough space will cause your broodnest to be back-filled - thus negatively affecting the winter bee production;

for some bees, no brood means they need no pollen - maybe this is what you are looking at already;

you need that brood nest open, not plugged by the drying nectar;

SBH - sorry, typo - SHB (Small Hive Beetle)

3) having few extra frames of Goldenrod honey is a good problem to have - I will happily take them off your hands if you don't want them. :)

I am just back from my yard - the wet sock smell is overpowering - this is the time to be packing away some excellent honey.

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[Greg V]

I missed this q - What does everyone do with their half finished frames, nector-filled  frames, etc. 

Just another good problem.

It is always better to have extra honey than none.

You may choose the bees to empty such frames after the fall flow.

In vertical hives - set such frames in empty boxes above the bees, separate them from the bees by paper/plastic/whatever with limited passage, scrape the cappings, and the bees will empty such frames by moving the honey down.

But you just as well put the half-full and capped frames away; you will be glad you have them come spring.