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Subject: Orange County, NC Beekeepers

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  • From: Erika Wittchen <erika48 AT gmail.com>
  • To: ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [ocba] rearranging frames/hive bodies this time of year?
  • Date: Sun, 26 Oct 2014 10:22:03 -0400

Hi all,
I have a question about the benefits or dangers of swapping around frames before winter (to consolidate nectar-containing frames up top and brood nest frames below).  I was planning on trusting that the bees know best, but I'm having second thoughts based on what I'm seeing in the hive now.  I'll try to describe it simply below ;-)

Hive 1 has two-8 frame medium boxes. The brood frames are all found in the upper box, and they are flanked by capped honey-containing frames.  The lower box is mostly drawn comb that they are in the process of filling up with nectar (well, probably the 2:1 syrup we're feeding).  The question here, is should we swap the boxes so brood is below?

Hive 2 has three-eight frame mediums. Brood frames are present in all 3 boxes, the 2 center frames in the top and bottom boxes, and the 4 center frames in the middle box. There are capped honey frames up top, but in the lower 2 boxes, there is a lot of drawn but empty comb. Should we consolidate the brood frames into  the lower box, flank with the capped honey frames, and move the empty frames to the upper box to encourage them to fill these?

We are continuing to feed them with 2:1 syrup, and plan to until they stop taking it. The hives lost a lot of their food stores in the late summer dearth (and possible robbing?) and we have been trying to give them a boost so they have enough stores for overwintering. Both hives were started from packages this spring.

I appreciate your thoughts on this!
Erika



  • [ocba] rearranging frames/hive bodies this time of year?, Erika Wittchen, 10/26/2014

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