So I started with carni two package hives this spring. Both took off well, hive #1 was always about a week in development further along than hive #2.
By the end of June they had filled a second deep and were drawing a third deep during the sweet clover flow. First and second deeps were full of brood/honey like you would want to see.
I was not able to check them for several weeks after that. We had a baby, and that pretty much kept us at home for a while.
I checked them two weeks ago - hive #1 had 8 frames of their third deep full of honey, and pretty much their entire second deep full of honey. I added another undrawn medium.
Hive #2 had 5-6 frames of their third deep drawn with honey, but the first and second deeps were pretty much empty. No brood to speak of and a supercedure cell present.
Went back today. Hive #1 looks similar to hive #2 last week. Little brood, what was there was a very spotty pattern. Didn't find larvae. Found two supercedure cells, one open, one not.
Hive# 2 looks like something has started laying again. Second deep has larvae, nothing in the first deep yet.
So, I'm trying to figure out what I did wrong. It seems like both colonies superceded in close succession. I think I kept enough undrawn comb on them to keep them from swarming.
I know they shut down during the dearth, but supercedure cells?
Any thoughts or suggestions? My other question - is this too late in the season for these to be viable colonies for winter, and is there anything special I should be doing such as closing up the entrance, etc? I will do pre-winter feeding if the stores aren't there.
Thanks!
By the end of June they had filled a second deep and were drawing a third deep during the sweet clover flow. First and second deeps were full of brood/honey like you would want to see.
I was not able to check them for several weeks after that. We had a baby, and that pretty much kept us at home for a while.
I checked them two weeks ago - hive #1 had 8 frames of their third deep full of honey, and pretty much their entire second deep full of honey. I added another undrawn medium.
Hive #2 had 5-6 frames of their third deep drawn with honey, but the first and second deeps were pretty much empty. No brood to speak of and a supercedure cell present.
Went back today. Hive #1 looks similar to hive #2 last week. Little brood, what was there was a very spotty pattern. Didn't find larvae. Found two supercedure cells, one open, one not.
Hive# 2 looks like something has started laying again. Second deep has larvae, nothing in the first deep yet.
So, I'm trying to figure out what I did wrong. It seems like both colonies superceded in close succession. I think I kept enough undrawn comb on them to keep them from swarming.
I know they shut down during the dearth, but supercedure cells?
Any thoughts or suggestions? My other question - is this too late in the season for these to be viable colonies for winter, and is there anything special I should be doing such as closing up the entrance, etc? I will do pre-winter feeding if the stores aren't there.
Thanks!