[DennisT]

What do you do at this point? I was just going to put supers on but I'm worried they'll get cramped and swarm. They have swarmed at least twice this year already.
Is there a way to keep them in just two boxes?

Another thing- if I dump one box of bees out in front of their hive, put an excluder then the empty box on top, can I then use these bees with the newspaper method and add to another hive? Does it make any difference which of the three chambers you use?
Sorry for the likely basic Q's.

 

[Joseph Clemens]

It depends on if there is a flow on, or if one is coming, or on what your intentions/expectations are.

 

[Robert Hawkins]

Dennis, we need more info. What kind of bees. Assuming you are talking about one hive in three boxes, What we call a triple deep, why did you go so far (three boxes) before supering. Yes super immediately, then let's talk about splitting.

If you dump one box out in front of the hive, all the bees will walk into the hive. Why not just dump them in the hive and save them the trauma if you just want to empty a box. Unfortunately the box will then have no bees and plenty of pollen and honey and brood.

That's not an ideal box to super with. For the newspaper method you need to use the full box. Not empty the bees first. Again I'm assuming you have another weak hive that you want to boost up to snuff for the winter. Make sure the queen is not in the box you take off. (Any of the three will do.) and after preparing the weak hive, just take the box and put it on top. Then put the inner cover, outer cover and you're done.

NOw, preparing the weak hive means remove the outer and inner cover, and place newpaper over the top super. Some will tape or staple but it's not necessary. Cut three eight inch slices in the newspaper with your pocketknife. Then put the extra box on top. Done.

What's next?

Hawk

 

[iddee]

Dennis, I just keep stacking boxes. Whatever ever depth, they are all supers. The queen will adjust the brood nest under the stored honey. If you have 6 boxes on it's all right. It just means you may get to harvest a deep super too, in a good year. If so, you will have drawn comb for a split the next spring.

Hawk, cutting the newspaper is just an extra step. I have never made them a starter hole. I did a combine Monday and the paper was 50% gone Tuesday evening.

 

[DennisT]

Thanks for the responses!
They are italians, and I have no idea what flow is coming however the clover must be coming to an end in the next short while.
I have had many swarms, min 2 from this hive. Two weeks ago it was full of drone cells and nothing else so I used newspaper to add the 3rd chamber (a settled in swarm), it was successful and there is plenty of new brood, enough that I was able to give some to a queenless hive in hopes of them producing a new queen.(I killed all the queen cells during their repeated swarming... I know how that works now)

What I meant about dumping the bees, was then use an excluder to get the queen out, then use news paper to attach it to a weaker hive- because I once switched a super to a much needed hive and all of the bees were killed from the super.

Well I'll get those supers on and go from there. I'm using all new undrawn frames and the bees sure aren't into that, will get started frames of honey from another super...

Thanks for the help.

 

[Robert Hawkins]

Undrawn frames of foundation?? or foundationless frames?

Yep, if you move a box from one hive to another without the newspaper, the new hive will kill all the bees in the box.

iddee, how many sheets of paper do you use. I'm thinking one which is not enough for mine to delay them. Maybe if you used two and wanted the smells to mix quickly you'd cut the paper???

Hawk

 

[DennisT]

Thanks for clearing everything up.

I was told to just poke a few small holes into the paper, and it worked well for me. One of those things that must work with many ways, sure is a helpful method!