apiguard, no eke

[Zante]

So, now my bees have their second tray of apiguard on, but I really would like to remove the super I added to make room for the tray.

An eke is not an option right now, so either I leave the supers on for another week and a half, which I'm not happy with, or I need to find a way to sort this out.

I had thought of two options:

1 - overturned roof. The problem I have with this is that I don't want my bees to start building comb in it

2 - apiguard tray upside down. Don't know if it's thick enough to just stick to the tray or whether it will drip down

Ideas? I'm willing to listen to alternatives.

Of course, I could just leave the supers on, but I'd like to start feeding, and I want to make sure the syrup doesn't end up in the super.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Any four bits of wood will do - doesn't matter how thick - ten millimetres is sufficient, but a bit more won't harm the bees. Don't put the tray upside down on the frames.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

why were the supers on in the first place?

 

[Bakerbee]

I just took my last apiguard tray off one hive. I had used all my single bee space ekes so used one thats about 3" deep that i had spare. Well what a mess i found. Comb nearly everywhere across the whole area filled with syrup. Arrgh! As im down south and temps are still warmish i decided to remove it all so i didnt have a mess in spring eith possible brood in it. Ive given it back to them above the crown board but am cross with myself that i didnt use a proper eke in the first place. They should have more than enough space down below as i put a super of goundation under the brood box as they needed the space badly. Im hoping they will sort it all out this next 5 days is forecast warm and sunny days of 16c. So fingers crossed.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I had used all my single bee space ekes so used one thats about 3" deep that i had spare. Well what a mess i found. Comb nearly everywhere across the whole area filled with syrup..

Nothing really to do with the eke then - more to do with feeding whilst having apiguard on - and the bees having no space to store it.

 

[Zante]

why were the supers on in the first place?

To make room for the apiguard tray for the smaller colony.
The larger colony actually still needs the super just for the amount of bees, I'm hoping that the numbers have started going down by the time I next check.

It's still fairly warm here, so I didn't think much of leaving them the extra space yet.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

To make room for the apiguard tray for the smaller colony.
The larger colony actually still needs the super just for the amount of bees, I'm hoping that the numbers have started going down by the time I next check.

It's still fairly warm here, so I didn't think much of leaving them the extra space yet.

If you think the bees still need the space, put the super under the brood, the bees will then move down as they store the syrup up top. I'm assuming the super you put on to make room for the apiguard had no frames in?

 

[Zante]

If you think the bees still need the space, put the super under the brood, the bees will then move down as they store the syrup up top. I'm assuming the super you put on to make room for the apiguard had no frames in?

It does. I didn't want the bees to get creative with wild comb.
They're not filling it though. It's been there for a while and nothing has gone in it, they've kept filling the brood box instead.

 

[Bakerbee]

Jenkins my bees have an entire super of space to store in. I put one on for extra room some drawn some foundation. Theyve ignored it and filled the eke space.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Jenkins my bees have an entire super of space to store in. I put one on for extra room some drawn some foundation. Theyve ignored it and filled the eke space.

They like to fill space above first and work down, then back up as they consume the food they have stored above.