Enough Honey

[Dave Warren]

I checked on my hive today, I have a top feeder from Kellys, after reading about bees not having enough honey so survive, I made candy board and placed it in the top plastic top feeder section, One, is this right?
two, my hive is brood box is a shallow, then I have deep, then two more deeps, I looked today, each box has 9 foundations full of honey, so 18 foundations deep and 9 shallow.
My bees are clustered in the brood box.
I pulled several honey frames out today to look for problems.
None.
Question should I pull the top feeder, with the board candy, The bees are staying low,
It's been in the 50's here and winter isn't suppose to get here till next Thursday or Friday.
the reason I was at the hive today was mainly to wrap it up for the winter.
It rained last nite, looked for moisture, none!
Things look nice, used a stethoscope l have a Lippincot brand, top of the line.
They were buzzing around according to the sound.
My thoughts are just leave it alone till spring then check um out!

[Mike Gillmore]

If I understand you correctly, it sounds like your colony has 18 deep frames of capped honey? If that's the case, they have more than enough to make it through winter. Remove the feeder and wrap it up.

The candy board is meant to be placed directly on the top bars inside an empty shallow box. If you put it in a hive top feeder the bees will probably never venture up to access it during cooler weather. The cluster needs to be in direct contact with it on the top bars.

[Dave Warren]

Will do, it will be 55 again tomorrow, will remove the top feeder.
Thanks Mike!

[squarepeg]

moisture from rain isn't much of a problem.

moisture from the bees breathing in the hive, that rises up and condenses on the 'ceiling', ( the bottom side of the inner cover for example), which can drip down as cold water on the cluster can kill the bees.

this is prevented by making sure the top is insulated well so that the 'ceiling' can't get as cold enough for the moisture to condense out on it.

in alabama, all i need is 1/2" of styrofoam between the inner and outer covers.

i also have small vents notched into the inner cover so that excess moisture can escape.

[tommyt]

NO Queen excluder

Just in-case you have one in there

Good Luck
Tommyt