Not Drawing Super Comb

[Busy Bee]

Hello All,

I have a hive of dark strain bees I receieved last year. Now they built up very slow but grew into a a full brood. I placed a super of undrawn super comb above them to expand, but no never even went in. I placed 2 frames of half filled honey comb and 2 frames of drawn super comb in the super but no they refused to budge to the extent they filled the brood with everything and swarmed in weather not much warmer than 14C and still refuse to go upstairs. Has anyone any ideas I have never seen this before.


Busy Bee

 

[drstitson]

some tips i've tried:

ensure foundation is fresh - if necessary leave in greenhouse or heat with hair dryer
spray foundation with syrup
leave out QE until bees have started going up.

 

[Busy Bee]

Dam, why did I not take out the QE! Funny thing this hive is the only one with a QE with a wooden frame and little bars all others are slotted steel.....this could be the problem. Will change to slotted steel..


Busy Bee

 

[drstitson]

i'd have thought bees "see" the wire type QE as less solid than slotted steel.

 

[Busy Bee]

The only thing I can think of is the wired QE sets the super well above the brood as the slotted steel is much closer whether this would make a differnce is up for argument. But its quite a strange thing as this is the 1st time using this QE and this is 1st time I encounted this senario but it is also the 1st time I have had these darker strained bees.


Busay Bee

 

[Poly Hive]

Never mind the type of excluder, that is not the issue.

As above ensure the foundation is fresh/end and take of the excluder to let them up, once up and working replace excluder ensuring Q is below.

PH

 

[Busy Bee]

Yep defo, can't understand why I didnt do this

Head knocked against the blackboard for me!!

Busy Bee