any reason not to super?

[rache]

since this is our hive's first year, i was just hoping the colony would grow strong enough to overwinter. as usual, the bees are ignoring what i was taught, and instead have me worrying that they're overcrowded. (i haven't seen any swarm cells, but the brood nest is packed, and the beard is growing larger every night.)

is there any reason not to give them a super at this stage, if only to see what they do with it? i don't think we have any nectar flowing here right now, but maybe they'll at least start drawing comb for next year? i thought if they did manage to make a little honey up there, i'd just save it to feed back to them in the spring. my only concern (don't know if it's valid) is that the queen will start laying in the super as well, and they'll become even more crowded.

[iddee]

Add one, add two, add three if needed. Give thrm room.

[honeylocust]

Give them more room and give them more ventilation. Pop up the top if you need to.

And I wouldn't worry if the queen starts laying in the supers. More bees are a good thing.

[rache]

top is popped, solid bottom board is gone (so now they cluster under the screen at night, too)and my six-year-old asked, while surveying the mammoth beard we had last night, "why can't we bring them a fan?"

indeed.

i really had not thought that supers would be an issue this year, so none of them are assembled; i was sitting on the floor of the livingroom putting frames together last night. my husband just looked at me. "are you planning to *hammer* in here?"

this isn't a normal pastime, is it.

[iddee]

>>>>this isn't a normal pastime, is it. <<<<

People dressed like spacemen.
Bees in the swimming pool, birdbath, and hummingbird feeder.
5 gallon buckets stacked in the dining room.
Buying sugar by the hundredweight.
At least one member walking around with one eye swollen shut.
Car outside because wooden boxes fill the garage.
Epi-pens in all vehicles.
Sticky honey residue on everything you touch.

What isn't normal???? :D

[Mitch]

Sounds normal at my house iddee.

Tell the 6 year old to listen to the buzzing they have there own fan!!!Hope you get your supers ready soon,there is allways something blooming.The flow may not be fast but you just might get a super of honey for your effort.

[AstroBee]

I'd add one now and check back in about 5 days to see what's going on. Sometimes the bees will chew up your foundation if there's no nectar flowing - they'll even scrape the wax coating off plastic. Regardless, I'd assemble everything that you've got so that you're ready if you get a late summer/early fall flow.

Good luck

[honeylocust]

You could also slip the top box forward a little to give them 1/16" or so gap between the two boxes for more ventilation. Make sure the gap is not large enough to allow any bees in. You do not want them to have to defend another opening.

<this isn't a normal pastime, is it.>
Now your getting the real picture! And this is just the beginning. smile.gif

[rache]

i built three supers and nineteen split-bottom frames today, sitting on my livingroom floor because it's too hot to work outside. my back is about ready to snap. when people hear i keep bees, they want to know if the stings hurt. dude, it's nothing compared to the backaches.

[DChap]

"sitting on my livingroom floor"

rache, I sit on the sofa and use the coffee table as a bench saves the backaches


Blessed bee
Doug

[Mitch]

Great rache,did you get a super on yet?I am sure when you taste your first crop iof honey the back will fell much better.

I do my building on my kitchen table,an oldy and cant hurt it any.Guess if i ever get a good table have to make a work bench or keep the old table lol.Another thing thet realy helps is an air staple gun.This will speed up making frams alot.

[rache]

i was up at the buttcrack of dawn throwing on the last coat of paint. i'll put the super on this afternoon when i get home. (stupid job, interfering with my 24-hour-a-day beekeeping...)

the coffee/kitchen/diningroom tables have already been pulled into service as desks, art tables, storage spaces, and trash depositories, so the floor is my only option. plus, it's in front of the tv, and really, what's more important than tv.

after witnessing my difficulty with those miserable tiny nails, and listening to a nearly non-stop stream of expletives last night, my husband also suggested a nail gun. it was all i could to do keep from hammering the crap out of our floor in frustration, though, so i'm thinking that something that actually *fires* nails would be a very unwise choice for me, baha.

[ July 19, 2006, 10:10 AM: Message edited by: rache ]

[Mitch]

OK great sounds like you are all set to go.I did the same deal when i fist got into bees.I only had one super on the hives and that was all i had ready.The deal here was i had 3 hives an was a total rookie.They messed with the single super for a few weeks just drawing a small amount of conb and very little honey.I left for 5 days over the 4th of July.When i got back the supers were full and i hand none ready.So it was burn the minight oil time.Thay year i averaged 120lbs per hive.This was my 2nd year of beekeeping.I now have 15 hives 7 years later.Good luck on getting some honey.