harvest

[paul4168]

some of my hives are chock full of honey; and I feed in the spring time....weather suppossed to be good tomorrow; I was thinking about taking some (I super) and leave a second super.....any advice?

[Vance G]

Did you feed the super full of sugar syrup? If they are that full, you need to give the bees room. Extract the sugar syrup or honey and save it for feed and give the bees back the super for room.

[paul4168]

I was asking a management questions.....I was thinking it was a good idea to give the bees room which is why I want to extract

[Vance G]

Excuse me. If you extract and put wet supers back on I think the bees fill them faster than dry ones. I certainly would extract. It will also allow you to get different flower varieties of extracted honey to tempt customers. People like a choice. Whatever you do, when the bees are on a flow, do not let them get crowded. You are losing the crop they can't deydrate and store, they are shrinking the brood nest for storage room, and it pushes the bees to swarm. You want none of these happening in the spring.

[johng]

If it was me I would wait a little longer. There is still some cold weather left.
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