requesting pre-swarm help
Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 4:42 pm
Our calendar says the 1st major flow should start 3-4th week of April, I
have been feeding my strong hive to build the population. I was hoping to
attempt Ross Rounds on this hive this year.
Well it worked.(Grin) I just cut 6 queen cells (1 capped) off the bottoms
of several frames, so now I get to learn about swarming.
When I opened the hive, the bees had built brace comb around the middle of
the queen excluder, between the boxes and on the bottom of the frames,
most of it had brood in it. So they are asking for
more brood space. I had reversed the brood boxes 3 weeks ago.
Description when I opened the hive:
Queen 8 mths old, marked.
1 super foundation being drawn,
queen reducer,
2 full size brood boxes w/drawn frames,
brood boxes both have 8 of 10 frames of brood, some strong pattern,
outside frames have brood anywhere there is not pollen/honey. Very little
open cells.
The bees are drawing the foundation in the super, 6frames almost totally
drawn and have nectar (and sugar water) stored. the other 4 frames they
have started drawing.
The bottom brood box was almost exclusively capped brood, honey and pollen.
The top brood box was a good mixture of everything and that is where I
found the queen.
I took 2 frames of honey/pollen out of the top brood box (edges) and put 2
empty drawn frames into the middle. Then I swapped the brood boxes and put
the queen excluder between them. So I know where the queen is now. She
has some room to lay, and I have a little breathing space to figure out
what else to do.
I have available a couple of 4-frame nucs, 1 more full-size brood box and
several 6" super boxes, some Imirie shims and top feeders. I have several
drawn frames of both sizes but most of it is full of honey/pollen mix. Oh
and supplies to make super foundations. And the Ross Round equipment.
I am going to dive back into my books, but was hoping you could point me
in the right direction.
Many thanks,
Bruce Loving
have been feeding my strong hive to build the population. I was hoping to
attempt Ross Rounds on this hive this year.
Well it worked.(Grin) I just cut 6 queen cells (1 capped) off the bottoms
of several frames, so now I get to learn about swarming.
When I opened the hive, the bees had built brace comb around the middle of
the queen excluder, between the boxes and on the bottom of the frames,
most of it had brood in it. So they are asking for
more brood space. I had reversed the brood boxes 3 weeks ago.
Description when I opened the hive:
Queen 8 mths old, marked.
1 super foundation being drawn,
queen reducer,
2 full size brood boxes w/drawn frames,
brood boxes both have 8 of 10 frames of brood, some strong pattern,
outside frames have brood anywhere there is not pollen/honey. Very little
open cells.
The bees are drawing the foundation in the super, 6frames almost totally
drawn and have nectar (and sugar water) stored. the other 4 frames they
have started drawing.
The bottom brood box was almost exclusively capped brood, honey and pollen.
The top brood box was a good mixture of everything and that is where I
found the queen.
I took 2 frames of honey/pollen out of the top brood box (edges) and put 2
empty drawn frames into the middle. Then I swapped the brood boxes and put
the queen excluder between them. So I know where the queen is now. She
has some room to lay, and I have a little breathing space to figure out
what else to do.
I have available a couple of 4-frame nucs, 1 more full-size brood box and
several 6" super boxes, some Imirie shims and top feeders. I have several
drawn frames of both sizes but most of it is full of honey/pollen mix. Oh
and supplies to make super foundations. And the Ross Round equipment.
I am going to dive back into my books, but was hoping you could point me
in the right direction.
Many thanks,
Bruce Loving