I have two hives. One is a D.E. hive with passive ventilation that our mentor thinks we're sightly crazy to have, but he humours us. The D.E. hive has two deep brood boxes and a shallow honey super. The Langstroth has two deeps and two shallow honey supers, with a third shallow added this morning (under the two shallows.)
I got these bees in May (my mentor forced swarms into my hives) and they are doing really well. I have been bottom supering. Every box on the Langstroth started with drawn comb until this morning, when I added a shallow box of foundation under the two existing honey supers (one is ready for extraction, the other is getting there!)
Question #1: Should I have swapped a frame or two of honey/drawn comb from one of the full honey supers for the fresh foundation in the new super, to encourage the girls to get busy in the new "foundation" super? Of course, I read about this AFTER I added that third super. I don't know if I should go back and swap frames around.
Question #2: The D. E. hive started with all foundation (no drawn comb), so the girls have had a lot of work to do drawing out comb and are a bit behind the Langstroth hive. I checked their one honey super today and I think it's time to add another. They have drawn out 8 of the 11 frames (yes, 11 frames in a D.E.) and they're mostly filled with honey and I need to get another super on asap. I noticed that the frame on one end is not drawn out at all, and has a few holes chewed (by the bees) near the top of the foundation. Question is, what's the chewing about? Also, should I swap that un-drawn frame of foundation with a drawn one from the centre of that shallow?
Question #3: I started beekeeping last year. I have not yet been stung by my girls, despite going gloveless during inspections. (I do know I had no allergic reactions to stings in my pre-beekeeping life.) Is this unusual? I'm more than a little amazed. My husband has started calling me the Bee Whisperer.
Clear as mud? If you're still reading, I thank you!
Natalie
I got these bees in May (my mentor forced swarms into my hives) and they are doing really well. I have been bottom supering. Every box on the Langstroth started with drawn comb until this morning, when I added a shallow box of foundation under the two existing honey supers (one is ready for extraction, the other is getting there!)
Question #1: Should I have swapped a frame or two of honey/drawn comb from one of the full honey supers for the fresh foundation in the new super, to encourage the girls to get busy in the new "foundation" super? Of course, I read about this AFTER I added that third super. I don't know if I should go back and swap frames around.
Question #2: The D. E. hive started with all foundation (no drawn comb), so the girls have had a lot of work to do drawing out comb and are a bit behind the Langstroth hive. I checked their one honey super today and I think it's time to add another. They have drawn out 8 of the 11 frames (yes, 11 frames in a D.E.) and they're mostly filled with honey and I need to get another super on asap. I noticed that the frame on one end is not drawn out at all, and has a few holes chewed (by the bees) near the top of the foundation. Question is, what's the chewing about? Also, should I swap that un-drawn frame of foundation with a drawn one from the centre of that shallow?
Question #3: I started beekeeping last year. I have not yet been stung by my girls, despite going gloveless during inspections. (I do know I had no allergic reactions to stings in my pre-beekeeping life.) Is this unusual? I'm more than a little amazed. My husband has started calling me the Bee Whisperer.
Clear as mud? If you're still reading, I thank you!
Natalie
