No activity in shallow super

[Russell]

I have one colony made up of 2 hive bodies and one shallow super. I had to start from scratch because mites wiped me out last winter.
The two hive bodies built out well. One was using some plastic frames a guy gave me and the other is the more convential kind.

I have not seen my queen in the last 3 times looking for her. I didn't tear apart both hive bodies this last time...just the one on top w/ the conventional foundation frames. I think I'm seeing eggs and the frames look very well built out...also lots of bees.

I have had the super on for months and not one bit of build out going on. I do have 9 frames...maybe needs 10???

Help, please.

Russ

[Michael Bush]

>I have not seen my queen in the last 3 times looking for her. I didn't tear apart both hive bodies this last time...just the one on top w/ the conventional foundation frames. I think I'm seeing eggs and the frames look very well built out...also lots of bees.
If you've got eggs, larvae etc then you've got a queen.

>I have had the super on for months and not one bit of build out going on. I do have 9 frames...maybe needs 10???
It won't matter how many frames you have.

The only advantage to 9 instead of 10 is (assuming they are spaced well) the bees may draw them out deeper and they are easier to uncap. If you've got undrawn foundation I'd prefer 10 because the bees will fill it out more evenly. I go to 9 frames after I've extracted them once.

But none if this is relevant to them not drawing or filling it. I'd guess it's the drought. If you want to test the theory, feed them and see what happens.

[Eman]

I'm just south of you in TN. It has been dry and the bees have nothing to work to build that super out with. I had one hive that I finally took a super off of because they were doing nothing in it. The only hive I have that has drawn any wax is a swarm that I have been feeding to get them built up.

[TanaMc]

I am having the same problem in SE Kansas where we are not having a drought. I have just decided that they do not like my duragilt foundation.

[Michael Bush]

Don't know. Bees are a bit unpredictable, but I've never had problems with them drawing Duragilt. Of course if the wax ever separates from the plastic, they won't build on the plastic at all.