2 deeps underneath - both completely packed with brood, honey, eggs, etc. put a wire queen excluder on top and then a western with frames and foundation. it's been 5 days and there's harldy a bee in there. i make a quick peek once per day. have only seen 1 bee. same set-up worked great on my other hive.. what's up? am i too impatient? should i pull the queen excluder?
bees not entering western...
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What type of foundation are you using? Is it already drawn? Is there still a strong flow going on? I would give it some time. Excluders are a debatable issue. Do a search for excluders, there was a poll recently which had some good results on peoples' opinions and outcomes with them.
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Longarm,
My situation was similar. 2 deeps that were nectarbound...I did an even split...took the box with no queen and set in behind the first box facing the other way and requeened it several days later. When I made the split I added a medium box with foundationless frames then 2 shallows on top of that with drawn out comb. My hope was that the bees would move up some of the nectar to the shallows "and" build comb in the mediums. They did not move much nectar up to the shallows initially, but they went to comb building in the medium like gangbusters. I don't use queen excluders. Hope this helps.
Barry
My situation was similar. 2 deeps that were nectarbound...I did an even split...took the box with no queen and set in behind the first box facing the other way and requeened it several days later. When I made the split I added a medium box with foundationless frames then 2 shallows on top of that with drawn out comb. My hope was that the bees would move up some of the nectar to the shallows "and" build comb in the mediums. They did not move much nectar up to the shallows initially, but they went to comb building in the medium like gangbusters. I don't use queen excluders. Hope this helps.
Barry
Hey there Neighbor!
I had a situation kinda similar to yours longarm. All I can say is, be careful. I combined 2+ full deeps of bees and brood into 2 deep boxes on May 5. A week later I opened the brood by adding 3 empty frames in each box, and added a 3rd deep with drawn comb and some foundation. I figured they'd expand the brood into the deep and start storing nectar too, figuring the flow began June 1. May 21 I added an empty western. They occuppied it 1 week later but didn't do anything. Last week, still nothing, but they were living up there. Then Friday they threw a humongous swarm. I checked the top deep and it was all capped honey. The other 2 deeps were some capped brood and nectar, still a bunch of bees remained. I swapped the honey deep with the western and they're working on the western now. Just keep tabs on those brood boxes longarm because if they're crowded and still not moving up then it should make you wonder, this is one nice nectar flow going on right now. Then again maybe they're not as crowded as you think.
I had a situation kinda similar to yours longarm. All I can say is, be careful. I combined 2+ full deeps of bees and brood into 2 deep boxes on May 5. A week later I opened the brood by adding 3 empty frames in each box, and added a 3rd deep with drawn comb and some foundation. I figured they'd expand the brood into the deep and start storing nectar too, figuring the flow began June 1. May 21 I added an empty western. They occuppied it 1 week later but didn't do anything. Last week, still nothing, but they were living up there. Then Friday they threw a humongous swarm. I checked the top deep and it was all capped honey. The other 2 deeps were some capped brood and nectar, still a bunch of bees remained. I swapped the honey deep with the western and they're working on the western now. Just keep tabs on those brood boxes longarm because if they're crowded and still not moving up then it should make you wonder, this is one nice nectar flow going on right now. Then again maybe they're not as crowded as you think.
>2 deeps underneath - both completely packed with brood, honey, eggs, etc.
Better open that brood nest up or they will swarm. The queen needs somewhere to lay.
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesswarmcontrol.htm
> put a wire queen excluder on top and then a western with frames and foundation. it's been 5 days and there's harldy a bee in there.
Get rid of the excluder and open up the brood nest.
> i make a quick peek once per day. have only seen 1 bee. same set-up worked great on my other hive.. what's up?
Not all hives are alike.
> am i too impatient?
Not if there's a flow.
> should i pull the queen excluder?
I would.
Better open that brood nest up or they will swarm. The queen needs somewhere to lay.
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesswarmcontrol.htm
> put a wire queen excluder on top and then a western with frames and foundation. it's been 5 days and there's harldy a bee in there.
Get rid of the excluder and open up the brood nest.
> i make a quick peek once per day. have only seen 1 bee. same set-up worked great on my other hive.. what's up?
Not all hives are alike.
> am i too impatient?
Not if there's a flow.
> should i pull the queen excluder?
I would.
Thank you for the very informative responses.
Will be popping the top of that hive today and seeing what, if anything, has developed since last visit.
Guess i'll pull the excluder (I'm so new to this I didn't realize I had the option of NOT using it!) and see if conditions appear to indicate swarming..
To answer your questions beecron: the western is stocked with new foundation for comb honey. I believe - and wade concurs - that there is a strong flow going on now (blackberries).
THanks again folks - I'll post again in a day or 2 about this hive,
longarm
Will be popping the top of that hive today and seeing what, if anything, has developed since last visit.
Guess i'll pull the excluder (I'm so new to this I didn't realize I had the option of NOT using it!) and see if conditions appear to indicate swarming..
To answer your questions beecron: the western is stocked with new foundation for comb honey. I believe - and wade concurs - that there is a strong flow going on now (blackberries).
THanks again folks - I'll post again in a day or 2 about this hive,
longarm
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