Currently have five full frames in a new hive and will add two new frames within the next day or so.
Is there an order to where the two new frames should be placed? To be clear about the question, should the new (empty) frames be placed on the outside or somewhere in the middle of the other five?
A second question, and this will probably get several different answers, but how long to continue feeding sugar/water mix?
I would put them between edge of brood nest and any capped honey. This time of year it might be better to do one at a time to ensure they get it fully drawn.
Sounds like you're essentially starting with a nuc-sized hive? I add frames (or bars, when I had top bar hives) so that 1 is placed smack dab in the middle of the brood nest. You should have 2 or 3 past the end of the drawn frames. I would cycle in undrawn bars to the middle of the brood nest about every 5 days.
I feed until the bees have all the comb drawn out that they will need to get through winter. I have had top bar hives make it through winter with about 12 full combs - though mine were the size of deep frames, not the 2/3 size that the Kenyan bars are.
I would recommend feeding until the bees have almost 3/4 of the hive filled with comb. Yes, I know that means the honey is "funny honey", but come spring, the bees will explode in population. If your hive does not have drawn comb available for the bees to sit on and for them to store a nectar flow in, they will swarm lickety-split.
Don't know about your area, but we are getting August weather here in NE OH and I don't have much hope for any more substantial natural nectar flow. I bet the fall flow will be a bust too. So I'm feeding mine as though there isn't nectar coming in now, and there won't be later.
Thank you both for the response.
Yes it is a nuc size. We have a medium lang with five frames and are located in St. Louis, MO so the weather is similar to yours trish.
Not concerned about the "funny honey", we did not intend to harvest anything at all this year, all to be sure we give them the best chance to get through the winter!
Again, thanks
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