Feeding back...

[donaldb7340]

I have 4 brood frame with stores, some capped some not. These are now spare after reuniting colonies, what is the best way to get it back to the bees? At the moment they are sitting in a brood box in front of the hive. They seem to be taking some in. All thoughts welcome!

 

[Finman]

I have 4 brood frame with stores, some capped some not. These are now spare after reuniting colonies, what is the best way to get it back to the bees? At the moment they are sitting in a brood box in front of the hive. They seem to be taking some in. All thoughts welcome!

What do you have over brood box?

Describe you hive and 4 brood frames. Why so few brood frames? Had you more earlier?

If you feed honey back, where bees store it then?

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[BILL.HEARD]

When you say 'THEY' do you think its your bees taking it back in, if the box is open it could quite as easily be bees from down the road, not a sensible approach as this could cause robbing. You need to give more information.

 

[Finman]

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This time of year moving honey from combs is simple. You put the frame between brood frames and bees move the honey to the super.

But if flow is going now, bees do not rob combs and they do not move honey to another place. They just fill combs with more honey.

The colony must be so big that it has a brood champer and it has a super where to move the honey. And it needs a good queen which need laying space.

But if you extract super frames, why dont you extract honey in brood frames.

If the hive has 4 brood frames, it is too small hive to oddupy 2 boxes.

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[donaldb7340]

There are four brood frames that were in a box with an artificial swarm, colonies are now united and so these are full of stores and pollen and laying spare. The brood box is full (I use brood and a half) of stores already so pointless adding them in there. It just seems a waste to have 4 frames of pollen/honey that the bees could used being left. What would be the best way to store these if I can't give it back to the bees?!

 

[enrico]

Store them somewhere safe for a month. Away from bees and vermin, in September add a bb under present bb and put your frames in bottom one filling it with other frames. They will fill these for winter stores hopefully and use it over winter. In spring remove bottom bb which should now be empty. Leave all brood in top bb.
E

 

[Finman]

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If the strong honey flow continues, you cannot do nothing. Only take capped frames off and store them in warm place that they do not crystallize (25C)

When flow is over, bees start to arrange the mesh and open brood area to the queen. Then again, move capped honey away.
You see it then. No forecast can be given. It just happens. If you give foundation, they fill it with honey.

But however, now it is time to get new combs, When you take capped frames off, give foundations.

 

[MJBee]

Safest place to store them is in the freezer. Wax moth and possible fermenting of uncapped stores is avoided. I am sure you can sneak them past He/She WMBO

 

[Finman]

Safest place to store them is in the freezer. Wax moth and possible fermenting of uncapped stores is avoided. I am sure you can sneak them past He/She WMBO

That is true.

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[donaldb7340]

Store them somewhere safe for a month. Away from bees and vermin, in September add a bb under present bb and put your frames in bottom one filling it with other frames. They will fill these for winter stores hopefully and use it over winter. In spring remove bottom bb which should now be empty. Leave all brood in top bb.
E

So the 4 frames will be used as winter stores? Will this be fine to do on a brood and a half? Eg overwintering with two brood boxes and a super if I use this method? Also will it be fine if the bottom brood box is just these 4 frames and foundation?
Thanks for all the advice. I will discuss with wife about freezing them...

 

[enrico]

You should be fine overwintering on one bb. So you can introduce the frames by putting them as the outside ones. Or.....you can add the underneath and they will move it up if there is room, or use it in early winter. The only reason you add empty frames is to stop the building wild comb but you can fill with insulation if preferred . One bb FULL of stores will see you through the winter. But ....you don't need to add them until after varroa treatment.
Hope that all makes sense
E

 

[Finman]

Eg overwintering with two brood boxes and a super if I use this method? ...

If you hive size is now only two boxes, and brood frames 4, it is sure that one box will be enough for winter.
I suppose that queen is not able lay so much that you need 2 boxes.

If yiou have npw 7-9, boxes, it needs two boxes for winter, or only one. It depends how many frames the hive has at the beginning of September. If it has 8 frames, then one box is enough.

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