"ladder" to next super.? and another newbee question.

[eddieobees]

OK. I feel like I have read enough to be dangerous to myself and the bees . . .

I will be doing my 2nd inspection on Sunday (would +16 days after install (http://eddieobees.blogspot.com/2012/03/installing-3lb-packages.html)) and will hopefully be adding supers to my two hives.

For one hive, I will have foundationless frames with the wedge bar turned sideways as the guide strip (here is where I get dangerous). I hear about the "ladder" to get the bees up to the next super, but what exactly are they talking about? . . . could you use a frame from below? and if so what if they are different sizes?

Also, if we are in the middle of our nectar flow, should I add a second deep brood super . . . or use some of the shallow frames that I have?

Sorry for the bunch of questions.

Thanks!

Eddie O.

[jrbbees]

The bees will often build "burr" comb between the boxes and it serves as a simple ladder between the frames. Often it is drone comb. No problem in a hive.
It can also serve you that when you inspect the hive it gives you drone cells to open to check for V. Mites. It often tears apart when you manipulate a hive. No big deal the bees will take care of it.

When they have drawn out 8 of the 10 frames place a new box on. If you put it on too early then you do two bad things.
1. Give them too much space to defend against wax moths and SHB.
2. They can move up into the upper box before they have filled out the lower box. This makes a center tower in the boxes and there is no one to protect the outer frames of the boxes. This make the problem of #1 even worse.

[AR Beekeeper]

eddieobees, the type of ladder you are speaking of is when the colony has a second super of foundationless frames placed above the brood nest. Usually a frame of drawn comb or foundation is placed in the top super and the bees use it to travel from the brood nest to the top of the frames in the upper super. This helps the bees to form a cluster under the top bars in the upper frames.

I always try to satisify the need of the bees before thinking of making surplus for myself. If you plan to use deep bodies for the brood nest and the food chamber I would try to get them drawn on the nectar flow, otherwise you will have to feed sugar syrup to keep the bees producing wax to finish the combs. You will find with foundationless frames the bees usually do a better job drawing it correctly on the medium frames as opposed to deep frames.