First time for everythig: I tore down a QC in May!

[TryingToLetThemBee]

One of my spare nucs that has built up well and is on 3 6-frame boxes. Very active indeed and has every right to swarm. But they only put up one cell. So I nicked some brood, gave some space, tore down the QC and await developments. If I'm making a mistake, better here than on one of my production colonies, one of which is already up to 5 National boxes.

 

[Finman]

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One queen cell... They want to change the queen?

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[Eyeman]

One of my spare nucs that has built up well and is on 3 6-frame boxes. Very active indeed and has every right to swarm. But they only put up one cell. So I nicked some brood, gave some space, tore down the QC and await developments. If I'm making a mistake, better here than on one of my production colonies, one of which is already up to 5 National boxes.

Blimey that's one big/strong hive. Finman will be jealous as I bet his are only just coming out of winter storage!

 

[Finman]

Blimey that's one big/strong hive. Finman will be jealous as I bet his are only just coming out of winter storage!

My biggest colonies fill now one langstroth box. On average I would say 5 frames brood/hive. ..... Mapple trees are in full bloom.

Too much winter food frames in hives. I have taken a lot full food frames off that queens can lay.

 

[Eyeman]

My biggest colonies fill now one langstroth box. On average I would say 5 frames brood/hive. ..... Mapple trees are in full bloom.

Too much winter food frames in hives. I have taken a lot full food frames off that queens can lay.

Replacing those frames of stores with drawn comb is the best way to keep the queen laying and avoid those early swarm cells.
Do you extract the honey from those brood frames or keep them for use later in the season. I extract mine.

 

[Finman]

Replacing those frames of stores with drawn comb is the best way to keep the queen laying and avoid those early swarm cells.
Do you extract the honey from those brood frames or keep them for use later in the season. I extract mine.

I feed them gradually to hives, artificial swarms and so. Stuff is mainly sugar.

Easy to feed a frame when I put a that between two brood combs.

It will be cold and rainy weeks, when it is best to give them.

 

[Millet]

Blimey that's one big/strong hive. Finman will be jealous as I bet his are only just coming out of winter storage!

I have one here on double brood and three supers in the cooler north east, mind you one of the supers is still half full of brood from it being brood + half over winter the others are getting filled full of concrete (OSR) and the speed in which they are being drawn and filled has made me prepare three more supers today to go around the colonies when needed.