View Full Version : PC pkgs.
This question is for the beekeeprs who have installed pkgs. using PC. Thursday I received 4pkgs. and installed them. All 4 have 2 supers of pc installed. Just checked them all today. All 4 queens accepted, 2 are laying a few eggs. The other 2 can't lay because the bees are putting the sugar water in the brood chamber. They are drawing comb because the supers were stuck together and that was filled with sugar water. Some of the filled cells they are starting to cap. My question, what's the next move? I have plenty of foundation for them to work. I've been thinking of putting 1 super on each hive.By the way I added HBH to the sugar water.
Michael Bush
03-28-2004, 08:25 PM
Some queens take a few days to get going. If they have filled most of the cells with some sugar syrup, maybe you should quit feeding them for a little while until the queens start laying or they run lower on stores. Are they storing any pollen?
They do have pollen.Before I installed them I placed some pollen in the cells. Since this was pollen that I had trapped from another hive, they did not not waste any time in using it. It should be more than enough for a 3 pound pkg. They have also been bringing in pollen.
[This message has been edited by dp (edited March 29, 2004).]
BULLSEYE BILL
03-29-2004, 09:03 AM
>My question, what's the next move? I have plenty of foundation for them to work. I've been thinking of putting 1 super on each hive.
I would add more space and as MB suggested quit feeding as much. A package or swarm will expand quickly on PC, and you will need to watch closly.
It takes a lot of stores to raise brood, they will use the feed stored in the center as the brood ages making more room for laying.
You did not say how long they have been hived, but if it has been two weeks, they probably need more space.
BULLSEYE,these pkgs. were hived this past Thursday(25th).It's going to be Wed. before I can check them out again because of the weather. I was surprised that there were so few dead bees. Out of 4 pkgs. there was only a handful.
BULLSEYE BILL
03-29-2004, 10:53 PM
Healthy bees and good handeling, congrats.
It takes a lot of area to dehydrate nectar or syrup. They will make room as needed. Keep us informed.