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Feeding pollen substitute helps to get bees brooding.

Sugar is a desiccant, meaning it will absorb moisture from the air. So putting it on top bars will have it absorb any heavy moisture that might be in the air inside the hive. As the sugar gets wet...

As well as the other books already mentioned,
I really do like Michael Bush's Classic Queen Rearing Compendium.


https://www.amazon.com/Classic-Queen-Rearing-Compendium-Michael/dp/1614760594

I agree with AR1
Put them in a nuc with feeder shim under the lid, and damp sugar the consistency of wet snow on the top bars of the frames.

I've used 8 frame deeps since 2004. This year I've changed to all 8 frame mediums. I like them, the bees seem to like them. I'll see how they do next year.

I get the spray for all of July, August, and September.
My hives seem to do well so long as I feed during dearth and treat for varroa.

Of course what everyone else has said is true, and do try next year some of the suggestions that have been made. But from your description of what you did and what the bees did this year for you, it...

I agree. Change where you get your queens from. A good breeder of queens will use lack of swarming as a criteria for choosing the queen mothers used for raising queens. Bees caught as swarms are more...

I don't know what they are using, it changes every couple of years, but I live where the area gets sprayed once a week just at the end of dusk by airplane. This goes on for three months, in the area...

In back reading this thread...
You have mentioned, back in May, that sometimes the brood looks bad and spotty, and then it clears up. Several things can cause this, but what I have surmised at times...

I've done it with no newspaper and it worked out just fine, but I did it in spring/early summer, never this time of year at the beginning of fall. I never used newspaper, and did not put obstructions...

I don't see any reason why you couldn't, I think it should work fine.

Yes, me too Oldtimer. Move the super with bees to another hive, over an excluder. Then remove the excluder after a few days. I've not had problems doing this.

I would move a super over, just as you thought. No need for feeding that way, and the hive would feel more secure having a super of honey on it.
I would not use any queen excluders, it is the time...

I certainly can't compete with Mr. Frank's experience!

I have a question...
Do you intend for these splits to be strong enough for almond pollination next spring? That will be a determining...

If you are seriously trying to do it now, it can be done.
Do not use any foundation, it's too late for them to draw much if any wax now.
Purchase queens for the splits, it's getting too late to...

I always re-queen if chalk shows up. I destroy old queen, then wait 7-9 days and go through to destroy any and all queen cells they have started, then I introduce a caged queen and let the hive...

Yes there is Logic to it and yes, easy is good. This would be your easiest way to accomplish a good over winter arrangement for the hive. There are other ways you could try, but this way is easiest...

I never open feed, especially not with not laying queen mating nucs in the yard.

I make my mating nucs up with frames of stores so I do not feed them at all until a new queen is actively laying...

Mineral spirits or paint thinner will dissolve beeswax quite well. Mineral spirits is more refined paint thinner so has less toxic smell.

It is not myth. The cost is the loss of brood rearing. Remove a queen and you lose 28 days +/- of brood rearing. That brood rearing translates into future bees in the hive. During that time bees are...

Leave it, you can always combine the end of August if it does not work out. This is the safest way to see what's going to happen. You've already done the split, let it ride for a month.

Yes, safe and easy way here... so long as you can find queens.
Goto strong hive, remove frames of open larva and inspect to be very sure queen is not on them. Take those frames and shake or brush...

You could get the same results with less work by pre-priming the cell cups with royal jelly as you graft. Although, I myself don't think that pre-priming the cells makes any better queens than just...

BetterBee.com
Has them like yours Paul.
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And this is one like what I first used... oh so many years ago!

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