Signs of Honey Logged Hive

[ainsof]

What are the typical signs of a honey logged hive?

[Quint Randle]

Being that I'm experiencing this right now, the signs are as brood hatches they fill in with honey. Pretty soon you have frames that are almost all honey. Or 80% honey with 20% brood area in the middle. Or even worse, as they hatch they fill in with honey and there are capped cells here and there all over the frame but the rest is honey. I assumed -- as I saw this start to happen when I put the super on --(even though they hadn't finished drawing out all the comb -- that they would move the honey up into the super as they drew that out. But a week later they hadn't touched anything in the super, and had filled even more frames in the brood chambers with honey.

It happened fast. A matter of 10 days or so.

Quint

[Michael Bush]

You look in the brood chamber and instead of open brood mixed in with capped brood, it's nectar mixed with capped brood.

[ainsof]

AHA! That's explains it. Thanks guys. It Looks like the gals are goin' that way, I'd better get another brood box on there tonight.

They've combed out 8 of ten frames in their current box, and I'm begginning to see exactly what you guys have described.

Is it safe to assume that I could bait the next box with 2-3 of the frames that contain mostly nectar/honey?

[ July 18, 2006, 09:26 AM: Message edited by: ainsof ]

[BULLSEYE BILL]

>Is it safe to assume that I could bait the next box with 2-3 of the frames that contain mostly nectar/honey?

Yes. and you can open up the existing brood box by adding frames into the center. I normally leave the center one and add one empty on either side of it. Put the two you pull over the two empties you add in the box below.

>They've combed out 8 of ten frames in their current box,

Or move those two empties to the inside, and shift the full ones out, but I prefer the first method if I want to add another box.

[ainsof]

Hi Folks,

Well, we'll see in a week or so, but I believe the issue has been resolved.

I removed two frames from the (now) bottom box (leaving the center), placed them in the same positions in the new box above (4&6 I think), and moved the two "suburb" frames (almost completely combed!) into center as replacements.

Lookin good. Not quite 80% of the frames filled with nectar/honey, but an awful lot and spotty capped brood. Other frames look great!

Looks like they've accepted the SC foundation and are building realtively decent comb too!

Also got to see eggs for the first time! Hundreds of them, especially in the new comb! Very cool! :D

[Chef Isaac]

Will they move the honey into the supers?

[ainsof]

Hi Chef,

I don't know for sure. I think the theory is they'll eat from the stores below as they're working (making more space for the queen to lay), and gradually move upward as they bring in more supplies.

It's been really humid here, so not all the nectar/honey is capped yet.

With that, I believe the queen will begin to lay on the upper comb when there is little or no room left below.

Folks, please feel free to correct me here. smile.gif