How long till completetion

[MSbeekeeper]

I was just wondering how what is the typical time frame for a new package to have drawn out frames in the first hive body? I have two fresh packages that are two months old now and both hives have refused sugar water about 3 weeks ago but they have only drawn out about 6 frames.

Does this seem to be slow, fast, or normal?

[Noelle]

I dunno as I am also really a newbie but my new packages haven't done that much even. However they are still taking syrup.

Try to feed them again - maybe there was a strong flow and now not so much. I have kept feeding (but we have had constant rain for a few weeks now)

[franktrujillo]

yes,it does matter if there is someting better they'll ignore the sugar water...watch your feeding as well dont get the hive were she has no room to lay or they will swarm....:D

[Ted n Ms]

In my experience bees will be slow to draw out plastic foundation unless there is a good honey flow on. I have the best luck with wax foundatoin.

[MSbeekeeper]

I guess I might start feeding again just to see if they will take it. Would you say now is a good time to add the second hive body even though they have not finished the first body? The last thing I need os for them to swarm since one hive is already week due to a laying working and no queen. That has been fixed but the hive is not very strong compared to the other one in terms of numbers.

[Hambone]

I would wait until they draw or start to draw 8 of 10 before you add a second. Your 2 outside frames are proably honey frames, or mostly honey. Move those over one to the outside and place an undrawn betweeen that.

[fr0sty]

I just started this year with a package of Italian bees. I started them off just about 1 month ago and when I checked this past weekend, they had 7/10 frames completely drawn and the last 3 with some drawn out. I rotated some of the outer frames to entice them to finish drawing the rest. Also, I had been feeding them syrup with a hive-top feeder for basically the entire time.

I added a second super during the check-up and also put one of the frames of mostly syrup up into the middle get them to move up also.

Also, I'm using wax foundation.

So to me, it seems like your bees are a bit slow, or mine are just fast?