Ok. I started with 2 NUCs from a fellow Beek in mid April. So I have had the bees since like the 14th. I had started with both yellow (Mannlake) and black beeswax dipped foundation in a medium brood box hive. At the direction of my mentor I placed another medium brood box on both and fed them both. I have learned that the bees like the pure wax foundations first followed by the black and they didn’t touch the yellow except for a bit of screwed up comb. Pic #1. I have since removed the yellow foundations and replaced many of the untouched foundations with the actual wax foundation. I also placed a honey super with queen excluder on the stronger of my two hives. I went in last Saturday and noticed that they really didn’t touch that honey super at all. I put more sugar water on them and went in again today. The weaker of the two they are still building out comb and the queen is laying very well. It’s just that the population isn’t huge, but there is a lot of capped and uncapped brood in the upper box, I didnt even bother going into the lower one, and there is ample room to build more comb and there is plenty of nectar/ pollen stored there. Even so I did put a honey super on that one with no excluder and I opened up the entrance fully. On the stronger one I noticed there was still room for them to build out comb and I put the honey super back on with the excluder. Am I correct in assuming that as the population grows the bees will cover more frames and build them out and eventually make it to the upper honey super box and get to work? Like someone asked earlier is it wise to provide an entrance separate from the main one below? Maybe I just need to calm down and let the bees do what they do and not check on them for a couple weeks or so? Also is the flow on for the Birmingham Alabama area?
Alabama Honey Super / Flow on?
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Jamosteph, I am about two hours southeast of you. Someone closer to your location can answer regarding your Nectar flow. Our significant spring sources here are tulip poplar, privet, and clover, and whatever persimmon and ornamental provide. This year, collectively, these only lasted about five weeks. The only significant sources left for me are Chinese tallow and sumac. Here are my observations on your post/questions for you to consider. Your mileage may vary (YMMV):
I only run a three inch opening on large hives, all year. Weaker hives or nucs get even smaller openings. If your flow is over, a weaker hive is ripe for robbing.
Was the "yellow" foundation waxed?
If you are feeding, you have sugar water mixed with some nectar. I would remove the excluder and encourage the queen(s) to expand the brood nest and therefore have a greater incentive to draw comb.
I treat all nucs and splits not to be supered for mites. You are very unlikely to get honey this year so treatment is definitely doable.
If you are using a screened bottom board, I would recommend finding an alternative like a closure board.
You made a good decision removing foundation with crazy comb. I know it hurts to sacrifice comb but it never gets fixed by the bees.
The weather forecast for next week has high temperatures in the mid nineties. Wax foundation can collapse so keep an eye on it and mitigate quickly so disasters can be avoided.
Keep opening the sides of your brood nest with foundation to get the comb drawn. There are many posts here on this.
Don't use entrance feeders this time of year. Find an alternative, and consider staggering feedings.
If you feed too much too fast, they are likely to swarm.
Enjoy your bees, and look in those bottom boxes to see what's going on.
YMMV
I only run a three inch opening on large hives, all year. Weaker hives or nucs get even smaller openings. If your flow is over, a weaker hive is ripe for robbing.
Was the "yellow" foundation waxed?
If you are feeding, you have sugar water mixed with some nectar. I would remove the excluder and encourage the queen(s) to expand the brood nest and therefore have a greater incentive to draw comb.
I treat all nucs and splits not to be supered for mites. You are very unlikely to get honey this year so treatment is definitely doable.
If you are using a screened bottom board, I would recommend finding an alternative like a closure board.
You made a good decision removing foundation with crazy comb. I know it hurts to sacrifice comb but it never gets fixed by the bees.
The weather forecast for next week has high temperatures in the mid nineties. Wax foundation can collapse so keep an eye on it and mitigate quickly so disasters can be avoided.
Keep opening the sides of your brood nest with foundation to get the comb drawn. There are many posts here on this.
Don't use entrance feeders this time of year. Find an alternative, and consider staggering feedings.
If you feed too much too fast, they are likely to swarm.
Enjoy your bees, and look in those bottom boxes to see what's going on.
YMMV
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