Here's hoping they get that 2nd super filled up and capped straight away. Sorry bout the rain.
Hive with no queen; should I combine it or requeen?
- Thread starter babsbag
- Start date
Happy Chooks
Loving the herd life
I'm nervous too. So far no swarm. It's a big hive though. Already have one honey super full,but not capped. The second super is on now, and we have had rain almost every day for 3 weeks.
Do you use a QE? For some strange reason, my bees were not storing in the super, but backfilling the brood nest. So I moved frames around in the brood nest and took off the QE. Now my queen is probably going to lay up the super. I guess in a week I'll put the QE back in and give an upper entrance.
From my understanding... As a general rule, the queen will not cross over stored honey. so if your frames are looking "proper" with a honey band in the upper corners and the frames in the first super are full of honey, the queen will not cross that "honey band" and should stay in the bottom deeps.
Happy Chooks
Loving the herd life
There is, though it's not capped yet. The inspection was very strange. Wall to wall (literally) brood, even on the outside of the outermost frames in the top box. I found the queen on the outside frame. But for some strange reason, she's ignoring the lower box. I already did a box reversal in the spring, and she moved up. There are stores in the lower box, but very little brood. I moved some brood down, and gave 3 empty frames so she would have a place to lay. This didn't happen with her last year, so I'm perplexed. We'll see how it works out.
Maybe there's something wrong down in that lower deep that the queen doesn't want to lay down there... Have no idea what it might be... mites/wax moths/ants/AFB... If you have a spare deep with frames, could you just temporarily move the existing hive and then place the full deep on the bottom board followed by the/a new/clean deep to be 2nd level then replace the super(s)? I know it sounds like a lot of work, but from what you've described I'd be really worried about swarms and hive health in general...
Following/waiting to see what happens here.
Following/waiting to see what happens here.
GLENMAR
True BYH Addict
I checked today and they are beginning to cap it. 
No QE on. I've found it slows them down.
They are also drawing out my second super and starting with honey in that one too. I hate to be greedy but, hope they fill that one too. 
No QE on. I've found it slows them down.They are also drawing out my second super and starting with honey in that one too. I hate to be greedy but,
hope they fill that one too. - Thread starter
- #27
babsbag
Herd Master
I have never used a QE and never had them lay in the super. My brother always called them Bee Excluders and like @GLENMAR he felt it hindered the workers accessing the super.
My biggest hive is all over the front of the hive today and in the air furiously. A week ago there were no queen cells so I don't think they are swarming, please...enough already. Stay home.
My new queen in hive #2 has been chewed out of her cage. I did not see her, but didn't look much, just wanted to see if she had been freed. If there was already a queen then I guess there was/will be a war. I will check on them again in a week or so. My other captured swarms are still here but I see no egg laying yet. I captured the first one about May 5 so I guess it hasn't been 21 days yet.
My biggest hive is all over the front of the hive today and in the air furiously. A week ago there were no queen cells so I don't think they are swarming, please...enough already. Stay home.
My new queen in hive #2 has been chewed out of her cage. I did not see her, but didn't look much, just wanted to see if she had been freed. If there was already a queen then I guess there was/will be a war. I will check on them again in a week or so. My other captured swarms are still here but I see no egg laying yet. I captured the first one about May 5 so I guess it hasn't been 21 days yet.
- Thread starter
- #28
babsbag
Herd Master
Bees are confusing. The first hive that swarmed has a queen and now has brood. I gave it a frame today but after looking in the honey super I didn't need to. Now why in the world is the queen laying in the super after I said I have never had them do that? I will say though that it is only a single deep with a super, maybe they just don't like laying in the bottom box. My big hive has the top deep full of brood too, not the bottom.
So not sure what to do now as I don't mind them in the top box but I do mind that the top box is a super and not a deep. I have a deep hive body available now, I didn't at the time. So would it be a really bad idea if I put the few shallow frames that have brood in a deep box and fill in with deep frames on the sides? Any other ideas?
The last swarm that I caught has a queen; no brood yet but I saw the queen. It has been almost two weeks so not worried yet. The other swarm is capping honey already but no queen to be found, and no brood, but again, only about 2 weeks in the box. Lots and lots of bees, maybe I will give them a frame of brood too, just in case.
I had to buy some wooden ware to support this many hives so now I have deeps and frames for all the hives to make them all two deep and a super. My area is very very dry in the summer and I know it can't support this many hives. Plus my neighbor has the hives at his place again, 10 I think. I guess I better start stocking up sugar when I see it on sale as if I want these hives to make it through fall and winter they will need fed. I will probably start this week when I put the deeps and supers on. I am moving one hive to a friend's house.
So not sure what to do now as I don't mind them in the top box but I do mind that the top box is a super and not a deep. I have a deep hive body available now, I didn't at the time. So would it be a really bad idea if I put the few shallow frames that have brood in a deep box and fill in with deep frames on the sides? Any other ideas?
The last swarm that I caught has a queen; no brood yet but I saw the queen. It has been almost two weeks so not worried yet. The other swarm is capping honey already but no queen to be found, and no brood, but again, only about 2 weeks in the box. Lots and lots of bees, maybe I will give them a frame of brood too, just in case.
I had to buy some wooden ware to support this many hives so now I have deeps and frames for all the hives to make them all two deep and a super. My area is very very dry in the summer and I know it can't support this many hives. Plus my neighbor has the hives at his place again, 10 I think. I guess I better start stocking up sugar when I see it on sale as if I want these hives to make it through fall and winter they will need fed. I will probably start this week when I put the deeps and supers on. I am moving one hive to a friend's house.
Happy Chooks
Loving the herd life
The queen is probably trying to increase the population rapidly? Just a guess, as my last inspection is just as confusing. I'm hoping that as the bees fill my super with honey, they will force the queen down out of the super. I don't know though, never had this predicament before.
As for sugar, you can get 25 lb sacks of sugar at warehouse stores for the best price. Sams club or COSTCO.
As for sugar, you can get 25 lb sacks of sugar at warehouse stores for the best price. Sams club or COSTCO.
Are you sure there isn't something in or about that lower deep that the bees don't like? There must be some reason why they won't use it... I hate to say it, but from all that you describe, I'd be tempted to just start over... 
or at the least do a major overhaul to get stuff "right"... If you put medium frames in a deep box, I'm afraid you'll end up with bur comb from hell. 
I wouldn't do it... I'd be real nervous about "lots of bees" but no queen to be found and no brood... That basically describes the second hive I lost...
I have seen honey bees flying around out back on my dandelions, so even though I have no hives, there are bees somewhere within 2-3 miles.
or at the least do a major overhaul to get stuff "right"... If you put medium frames in a deep box, I'm afraid you'll end up with bur comb from hell. I wouldn't do it... I'd be real nervous about "lots of bees" but no queen to be found and no brood... That basically describes the second hive I lost...I have seen honey bees flying around out back on my dandelions, so even though I have no hives, there are bees somewhere within 2-3 miles.
