[jimbe]

I finally had enough honey comb and drawn empty comb to checkerboard this year...the Carniolans left plenty of stores.
I did a full inspection just now and found the queen and 4 frames with sealed brood in the medium above the deep. I also have two mediums above that (the top on could probably be taken off...I was nervous about Carnis rep for swarming and didn't know how fast their buildup could be. We have had extended cold weather this winter and flowering is just coming on (red maples, red bud starting, cherry, magnolias....oh and my helibores...they are wearing them out! Central Virginia.

So I reversed the medium with brood with the deep in the hopes I could establish a pollen box that I could keep under the deep. Did I do right or is my timing off? (Walt?) Supposedly the bees are more likely to fill the box with pollen after the brood hatches out than if I just put empty comb under the deep...just not sure when to make the switch. (not that it stopped me!)

Frozen windshield yesterday morning and 80 today.... just a swingin'!

Thanks, Jim

 

[wcubed]

Was that a request for comment? If so, you did well on your first effort at CB. You were a bit premature on the pollen box. We usually wait until brood has expanded into the next higher box and move a full box of brood down. Six frames of brood should be good.

Couldn't find your town in my atlas, but anywhere in VA, you should still have some broodnest expansion time left. Pay attention. The bees can roar through CBed supers with broodnest expansion and get ahead of you. Don't let them fill the hive to the top.

I appreciate anyone open-minded enough to try the CB system.
Walt

 

[jimbe]

Was that a request for comment? If so, you did well on your first effort at CB. You were a bit premature on the pollen box. We usually wait until brood has expanded into the next higher box and move a full box of brood down. Six frames of brood should be good.

Couldn't find your town in my atlas, but anywhere in VA, you should still have some broodnest expansion time left. Pay attention. The bees can roar through CBed supers with broodnest expansion and get ahead of you. Don't let them fill the hive to the top.

I appreciate anyone open-minded enough to try the CB system.
Walt

Thanks Walt,
Well, its not the first time I jumped the gun....Should I move it right back like it was? The deep was empty of brood...some pollen. I thought by moving the queen and brood down below she would use the empty deep for more brood space. Or is it better to have her expand on up into the other med supers and then retract back to deep later in the summer? I worried they would plug the deep with pollen and not put it into the "pollen box" I want to establish (or is that pollen supposed to come in the late summer?)
I am in central Va about 20 miles north of Charlottesville. Zone 7A. Redbuds are coming out, dogwoods starting, cherries, bradford pears, daffodils..........
Thanks, Jim