Queenless hive backfilling double bb with nectar

[Do224]

The hive I nuc’d the queen from just over a week ago is rapidly filling their top bb with nectar/honey. They’re on double brood.

By the time the new queen gets mated I expect this top box will be full of capped honey. Not sure what I should do at that stage…rotate the boxes and bruise the cappings?

I know some people might say just extract it but there will be some sugar syrup in there too, as I was feeding them until the weather warmed up a couple of weeks ago (in retrospect I guess I overfed them a bit)…

 

[Sutty]

I'd think about taking it off once capped, replacing with supers and keeping it until autumn then using it as winter feed. That way you won't add syrup to your honey.

 

[hemo]

Yep agree, once the stores are sealed take them off for safe keeping later.
I fed back some two year old ivy stores last month to ward off any starvation issues.

 

[Do224]

Yep agree, once the stores are sealed take them off for safe keeping later.
I fed back some two year old ivy stores last month to ward off any starvation issues.

I think they’ve been on the OSR…will it be ok to store? I guess if ivy is ok then OSR should be similar

 

[Do224]

I'd think about taking it off once capped, replacing with supers and keeping it until autumn then using it as winter feed. That way you won't add syrup to your honey.

Out of curiosity, what would the advice be if there was no syrup and it was pure honey?

 

[ericbeaumont]

Out of curiosity, what would the advice be if there was no syrup and it was pure honey?

Extract as soon as the OSR flowers droop.

 

[Sutty]

Out of curiosity, what would the advice be if there was no syrup and it was pure honey?

Extract it!

 

[hemo]

I think they’ve been on the OSR…will it be ok to store? I guess if ivy is ok then OSR should be similar

Any capped stores will be fine for long term storage.

 

[Do224]

Again, out of curiosity…if the top bb was getting pretty full of stores, could you just rotate it to become the bottom bb and bruise the cappings? Would the bees then move the honey up to the super? Obviously I’m not suggesting doing this if there was likely to be syrup in the stores

 

[hemo]

Again, out of curiosity…if the top bb was getting pretty full of stores, could you just rotate it to become the bottom bb and bruise the cappings? Would the bees then move the honey up to the super? Obviously I’m not suggesting doing this if there was likely to be syrup in the stores

Why make double the work for the bees at this time of year when they don't need the extra work load or need the use of the stores.

 

[Antipodes]

Again, out of curiosity…if the top bb was getting pretty full of stores, could you just rotate it to become the bottom bb and bruise the cappings? Would the bees then move the honey up to the super? Obviously I’m not suggesting doing this if there was likely to be syrup in the stores

I find they won't cooperate with such schemes . Mine don't anyhow.

 

[Do224]

Hmm ok . There is a lot of talk on here about periodically rotating brood boxes when running double brood though. I (wrongly, clearly) assumed this would be one of those occasions where you’d do just that

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

That's to do with brood, not stores, if the top box is stores bound, either give them a super to move it up or take it off if it's capped and use it for later feeding.

 

[Do224]

That's to do with brood, not stores, if the top box is stores bound, either give them a super to move it up or take it off if it's capped and use it for later feeding.

I’ve got an undrawn super above now. They’ve drawn and filled a couple of frames so far. I was hoping I could encourage them to use all the stores in the top bb (which will have a proportion of syrup in it…maybe 20%) to draw out the super…

They’re requeening at the moment so not got much else to occupy them for a week or two. Thought it might kill two birds with one stone in that it would free up the brood area for the new queen and also get the super drawn out

 

[Curly green finger's]

You will find that not much comb will get drawn out while they are waiting for a queen to mate if you have comb use as much as you can.

 

[Do224]

You will find that not much comb will get drawn out while they are waiting for a queen to mate if you have comb use as much as you can.

That’s interesting, I actually thought the opposite would be true!

I’ve done as you suggest and swapped for drawn comb. Also had a peek to see if the queen has emerged…she has. So I guess I leave them alone for a couple of weeks now. Only thought is if there is likely to be OSR in the hive, how long can I wait before extracting it?

 

[Curly green finger's]

That’s interesting, I actually thought the opposite would be true!

I’ve done as you suggest and swapped for drawn comb. Also had a peek to see if the queen has emerged…she has. So I guess I leave them alone for a couple of weeks now. Only thought is if there is likely to be OSR in the hive, how long can I wait before extracting it?

Shake test before it’s capped.

 

[Swarm]

That’s interesting, I actually thought the opposite would be true.

They have all the storage space they need while there is no brood.

 

[Do224]

Shake test before it’s capped.

Just read the below from you on another thread so I guess I’ve got a few weeks before I need to act…

I extract mine on petal fall for osr which is usually the last week in June I bank supers until then and have minimal frames that have set

 

[Curly green finger's]

Just read the below from you on another thread so I guess I’ve got a few weeks before I need to act…

Yes I’ve done the above for three years but the honey has only had small amounts of osr in it even though there’s field of it near those apiarys.

I suggested the shake test simply because if you’ve got a higher % of osr in your honey then there’s the chance you might end up with solid frames to be on the safe side really.