Okay... week ago I purchased a "nunc" from a local commercial bee-keeper... I was basically expecting a 5 frame nunc.. went to pick it up, and it turned out to be a 10 frame box that had been left to its own resources...
Anyway, I use 8 frame boxes so after movinf it to its new home, I figured I would split the frames between 2 8 frames boxes.... however upon opening the 10 frame box.. I discovered the horror of the bad house keeping... the box was overflowing with bees (amazed they did not swarm) and the frames were in horrible shape... the combs interconnecting and holes through other parts to allow for movement.... anyway I figured to try to promote "rapid transition" I would move frames still (yeah making a partial mess) and intermixing them with new frames in the 8 frame boxes... the old frames were so "out of control" I could only fit 4 new frames per 8 frame box and only have 3 new frames in one box and 2 in the other... the remaining 2 frames in the 10 frame box were so unstable I decided to leave them... I ended placing the 2 8 frames onto of the 10 frame and laying a 2x4 over the gap...
I know it is late in the season... and I did this mid-afternoon yesterday... and pretty much every scare inch of everything was covered in bees... so either these girls are really lazy.. I am in a alph-alpha files in bloom... or there are way more bees than I was expecting....
Anyway.. I am thinking about splitting the 2 deep 8 frame boxes with a medium box hoping to get them to draw out the frames rapidly... get the queen in that section and start getting rid of the old frames that are un stable... any thoughts or better suggestions...
Anyway, I use 8 frame boxes so after movinf it to its new home, I figured I would split the frames between 2 8 frames boxes.... however upon opening the 10 frame box.. I discovered the horror of the bad house keeping... the box was overflowing with bees (amazed they did not swarm) and the frames were in horrible shape... the combs interconnecting and holes through other parts to allow for movement.... anyway I figured to try to promote "rapid transition" I would move frames still (yeah making a partial mess) and intermixing them with new frames in the 8 frame boxes... the old frames were so "out of control" I could only fit 4 new frames per 8 frame box and only have 3 new frames in one box and 2 in the other... the remaining 2 frames in the 10 frame box were so unstable I decided to leave them... I ended placing the 2 8 frames onto of the 10 frame and laying a 2x4 over the gap...
I know it is late in the season... and I did this mid-afternoon yesterday... and pretty much every scare inch of everything was covered in bees... so either these girls are really lazy.. I am in a alph-alpha files in bloom... or there are way more bees than I was expecting....
Anyway.. I am thinking about splitting the 2 deep 8 frame boxes with a medium box hoping to get them to draw out the frames rapidly... get the queen in that section and start getting rid of the old frames that are un stable... any thoughts or better suggestions...