First off - thankyou to everyone who contributes here on this forum - you've kept me up WAY too late many nights reading so many neat things about bees
Now - we are first year beekeepers with two nucs installed April 22nd in British Columbia, Canada. They seem to be doing everything pretty much by the book. We've left them alone for the past 8 days, but checked today.They are in medium boxes with the following frames:
- 4 plastic frames that came with the nucs, mostly drawn out, there has been a good strong brood pattern in these.
- 1 wooden frame with old drawn comb the beekeeper included with the nucs as it fit in the box.
- 3 wooden frames we fit with wax foundation.
-3 foundationless frames with the wedge turned 90 degrees.
The brood on the plastic frames is centered in the box with the wooden frames staggered foundationless/foundation.
In the hive in question, the bees have mostly drawn out one full foundationless frame since last Thursday. They haven't even touched any of the other foundationless or foundation frames - only the plastic frames they came on and one adjacent foundationless.
My question is that much of the broodnest has been backfilled with sugarwater where bees have recently emerged - even in the occasional little blank cell the queen leaves amongst brood, those are full of sugar water.
I should note that this hive also built a nice dombed ladder of brace comb all the way up into the top feeder while my other hive did not at all.
They are not in any way honeybound and are drawing out that one frame, however most of what I read about backfilling indicates swarming soon? Do I need to be concerned?
I am not sure if I should
1) stop feeding? Most advice i read is to feed until the bottom box is fully drawn out.
2) Manipulate the frames in some way to encourage the bees to draw out more comb?
3) not worry about it and trust they know what they are doing.
4)do something else I didn't mention?
thanks
Some videos of our inspection today are available athttp://thebxpress.com/2012/05/first-foundationless-frame-drawn/
Now - we are first year beekeepers with two nucs installed April 22nd in British Columbia, Canada. They seem to be doing everything pretty much by the book. We've left them alone for the past 8 days, but checked today.They are in medium boxes with the following frames:
- 4 plastic frames that came with the nucs, mostly drawn out, there has been a good strong brood pattern in these.
- 1 wooden frame with old drawn comb the beekeeper included with the nucs as it fit in the box.
- 3 wooden frames we fit with wax foundation.
-3 foundationless frames with the wedge turned 90 degrees.
The brood on the plastic frames is centered in the box with the wooden frames staggered foundationless/foundation.
In the hive in question, the bees have mostly drawn out one full foundationless frame since last Thursday. They haven't even touched any of the other foundationless or foundation frames - only the plastic frames they came on and one adjacent foundationless.
My question is that much of the broodnest has been backfilled with sugarwater where bees have recently emerged - even in the occasional little blank cell the queen leaves amongst brood, those are full of sugar water.
I should note that this hive also built a nice dombed ladder of brace comb all the way up into the top feeder while my other hive did not at all.
They are not in any way honeybound and are drawing out that one frame, however most of what I read about backfilling indicates swarming soon? Do I need to be concerned?
I am not sure if I should
1) stop feeding? Most advice i read is to feed until the bottom box is fully drawn out.
2) Manipulate the frames in some way to encourage the bees to draw out more comb?
3) not worry about it and trust they know what they are doing.
4)do something else I didn't mention?
thanks
Some videos of our inspection today are available athttp://thebxpress.com/2012/05/first-foundationless-frame-drawn/