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  • From: Shadi Cinpinski <shadikaze AT gmail.com>
  • To: ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [ocba] Fwd: 1st year bee keeper question
  • Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2017 16:44:12 -0400

Hello everyone,
I am posting this to the list serv as well. Walter and Randall were already kind enough to provide input, but I don't mind others chiming in. Their responses are noted after the pictures. 

I have been away for about 12 days and went back into my remaining hive with my husband. It is booming- if you recall, Randall, I had an earlier question about a ghost-town of a bottom super and full top deep 8-frame super. Well, that seems to have resolved itself. I have brood in both top and bottom deeps and spotted the queen on the third frame I pulled from within the top deep super. 

I didn't see any eggs, but saw the Queen and plenty of evidence of her work. I also saw some odd pseudo popcorn cells. Not much capped honey and not all frames had nectar. I saw plenty of pollen stores. I am attaching pictures. I am curious why there were these larva just out- the other bees seem to have just destroyed these particular cells. This being my first full year, I haven't seen this before. I wasn't sure if these were just funky drone cells.

My questions:
1) Shall I continue feeding? I don't want these girls to starve. (I have Randall's "Yum, Yum Eat em Up article that I am reviewing) 
2) Since the hive is booming, I wanted to avoid swarming. Should I place another super (medium) on top to give the colony more space? Will this be appealing to the Queen and her minions? OR should I just wait and place the honey super on within the next few weeks? I presume mid-late April would work fine to stop feeding entirely AND have the honey super ready to go. 
3) Best time in, in this area, for honey supers to go on?


Many thanks,
Shadi

-- 
Shadi Cinpinski,
704-589-0992



--
Shadi Cinpinski,
704-589-0992
************************************************************************************************************************************************
1) You probably don't need to feed right now, but that decision should really be based on the amount of honey/nectar you are seeing in the hive. I have one hive on a scale. It's slowly gaining weight so the bees are bringing in more resources than they are consuming.

2) Adding a super has pros and cons. It will provide more space but if the bees have already decided to swarm it probably won't prevent that. If you're seeing swarm cells a split might be a better option. If the frames in the super have already been drawn out it'll provide more room for the hive. If not then it's unlikely to help with crowding but may give the bees an early opportunity to start drawing them out. If you do add a super you'll need to stop feeding (assuming you plan to harvest the honey later).
Walter


You never can tell with bees. ~ Winnie-the-Pooh

Shadi,

1) Do what Walter says :-)

2) Read the article here for the answer to your question about feeding

3) The space that matters with respect to swarming is space to lay in the broodnest, not space in the honey supers

4) Most of the "pseudo popcorn cells" are drone cells but there is one queen cup in picture #3. Queen cups don't mean anything unless there is an egg or larva inside.




--
Shadi Cinpinski,
704-589-0992




  • [ocba] Fwd: 1st year bee keeper question, Shadi Cinpinski, 04/03/2017

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