Late brood and no room for winter stores

[jackstraw]

I was intending to over-winter on a national brood box only and had the set up bb/cb/empty bb/cb/almost empty super (a couple of frames of uncapped stores last week) with the intention that they would empty the super of stores and move them down into the hive. I then planned to feed for winter with some 2:1 syrup and close them down in a couple of week’s time. I'll admit that perhaps I've been watching the calendar more closely than the weather

I inspected them yesterday to find that the queen has continued laying in the bb and they have filled every frame with brood, pollen and stores in roughly equal quantities. They have about 9kgs of stores. I found that the super, separated from the hive by a void and two crown boards also had brood, fresh eggs and a small amount of stores in it.

There is still a good flow on and ivy in the vicinity which is yet to come out but I am a little concerned that we will not get the full complement of stores inside before the weather turns and they start to cluster. I would normally put the feeder on now but given that there is no room in the bb I am keeping it off for the minute.

My ideas are a bit fluid at the moment but I think I am going to abandon the idea of over-wintering on a single bb and go for a bb with a super/nadir under which will enable me to start feeding now. I should then get another 9kgs in but shall be ready to feed candy at Christmas if they use up all their stores keeping the extra volume warm.

Is anyone else experiencing similar problems with late brood this year.
Does anyone have any comments about my planning, better ideas would be appreciated

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

"Problems" with late brood, no; delight in a long season the bees saw coming, yes. I would get the hive arranged to what they want and hold off on feeding. Other southerners are seeing swarms, fyi.

 

[Bosleeu]

Is anyone else experiencing similar problems with late brood this year.
Does anyone have any comments about my planning, better ideas would be appreciated

My one colony had brood on all frames last week, including one frame of drone brood.

I wouldn't call it a problem though - it looked like that they were filling the cells with ivy as the bees emerge, hopefully leaving them with plenty of young bees to go into winter and stores aplenty as well. If not I will feed to top them up.

Your reasoning makes sense to me.

 

[The Drone Ranger]

All those hatching bees need food and space for sure.
I dont think they will be able to store much for themselves.
They can starve out quickly

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Sorry to have been brief; I did not see we are in the beginners' section.

Is it a poly box? Are you in an exposed location?

For now, they are gagging for space and in our location with this weather swarms seem to be more of a risk than starvation; my ivy flow is INTENSE.

So give them the space they are begging for, as I said, then supplement with feeding as and when the ivy stops and the weather turns if they are looking light. I would plan to winter on at least a brood and a half. In a month you can then stuff it full of thymolated 2:1. Much of it will be there in the spring (most in a poly box) and give you a scare about space but they'll eat it building up in spring and next thing you know you'll have a strong colony

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Here's a 20 Sept swarm in the SE: I have seen others on here as well. Many still have drones

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showpost.php?p=441283&postcount=15

 

[Finman]

When I have such problem that there are too much late brood, I put an empty box over the brood and feed it full for winter. It is essential that hive has enough time to cap the stores.
When brood is finish and have been emerged, bees rise up to store box.

 

[jackstraw]

Many thanks

Thanks for your replies. I have four colonies all on Nationals, I'm going to go with a super under a brood box with each of them. It looks like at least one is going to need a second super shortly which I shall take off and introduce back to them in the spring

 

[Ely]

It is quite normal for bees to produce brood for as long as the weather conditions can allow. The beekeepers job is to accommodate them. If they enter winter with double brood or brood and a half (yuck) then so be it. It is a sign of a large colony that will do well over winter (providing all other tasks are monitered and carried out thoughtfully). No problems here

 

[user 6228]

There are still quite a few drones in the hives here ... Which may indicate that the bees are not done with this year yet...
The level of activity at 8am indicates there is a flow still on around here so we are still looking to give the bees space if required. As regards ripening late in the year we are moving the remaining poly (EPS) hives into PIR hives...

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

There are still quite a few drones in the hives here ... Which may indicate that the bees are not done with this year yet...
The level of activity at 8am indicates there is a flow still on around here so we are still looking to give the bees space if required. As regards ripening late in the year we are moving the remaining poly (EPS) hives into PIR hives...

Derek: I may get biotechnical this weekend and cull some sealed dronebrood; I think one of the unsung advantages of warm hives is late drones, which keep the mites out of the worker brood for longer. I have one colony that is showing heavy mite infestation and that is the coldest arrangement. I suspect the mites are in the other colonies, but tucked up snug in drone brood.

Sorry OP: a bit off topic. Your colonies sound fine. Just watch for mites.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

My one colony had brood on all frames last week, including one frame of drone brood.

Your profile says "10". No big deal, but in case it's a misprint.

 

[Bosleeu]

Your profile says "10". No big deal, but in case it's a misprint.

No misprint I meant my one hive as in "one of my hives", not my one and only hive. Otherwise I would have said "my hive". English is my second language so apologies if it's not clear, some of the finer points of grammar is still beyond me even after many years.