[garlicbee]

Hi
Been learking round for a while finally got bees and have some questions.

Got 2 nucs beginning of May. The first hive is doing well, have already added a second deep box, top feeder is still on.

but my second hive still hasnt drawn out the first deep. This hive sounds differnet when you open it, there is a queen, havent been brave enough to check carefully for eggs, have seen larvae. But the 3 frames they came with are built out thicker than the wooden top bar so when we added out undrawn frames in (with just a sheet of beewax) I dont think the bee space is right cause the drawn out comb is too thick and touching the wood of the next frame at the top?
So they have drawn out these blobs between the old nuc frame and the undrawn frames and stuck them together. We have taken it apart a few times but can I cycle those too thick frames out at sometime, (if that is the problem) to get rid of them, or is there a better way? Have had to cut out egg size pieces of comb and honey, is there anyway of getting the bees off of it, the bees seem to be get stick to it.

How do you decide that a queen is maybe not good? and needs to be replaced? Or is the other hive just really good?

Also have a lot of ants feeding from the top feeder, too late to put the hive on legs anything i can do about that?

Sugar syrup question, should i buy shares in a sugar company each hive has had about 5lbs of sugar, would they use that again in the fall?

thanks in advance
lots of questions but thanks

 

[garlicbee]

up anyone?

 

[indypartridge]

Hi
...can I cycle those too thick frames out at sometime, to get rid of them, or is there a better way?

That's what I would do... work them over to one side, putting new frames in the middle, and eventually pulling them.

Have had to cut out egg size pieces of comb and honey, is there anyway of getting the bees off of it, the bees seem to be get stick to it.

I usually just leave those pieces on the landing board, or on top of the next hive over.

How do you decide that a queen is maybe not good? and needs to be replaced? Or is the other hive just really good?

It's a judgement call. Yes, it seems like some colonies just go gangbusters while others poke along. What's the brood pattern of the "slow" hive compared to the "fast" hive? What's the difference in amount of brood? If the "slow" hive queen is laying a decent pattern, I'd probably hold off on requeening and give her a few more weeks.

Also have a lot of ants feeding from the top feeder, too late to put the hive on legs anything i can do about that?

Curse and mutter under your breath. I've had limited success using cinnamon on the edges of boxes and on the top board, but this spring I've had more ants than any other year.

Sugar syrup question, should i buy shares in a sugar company each hive has had about 5lbs of sugar, would they use that again in the fall?

Get used to buying sugar. Watch for it on sale and stock up. Depending on if you have a fall flow or not, you may end up feeding even more before winter. Sugar is cheaper than bees, so you want to make sure they have plenty of stores for winter.

 

[garlicbee]

wow thanks for all the great answers will do all of the above:

 

[WoolheaterFarms]

I've that when dealing with the ants and a hive top feeder, use self adhering insulating foam to create a continuous barrier between the lid and the reservoir or switch over to a lid with 70mm/2.75 inch holes drilled (I rock the hole saw to get a sloped fit) and use inverted quart jars or other containers. Here in Florida inverted containers on the hives is about the only way to deal with ants. I never tried the foam before, it was easier to drill a couple of holes in a weatherized piece of plywood and use 70mm lids as plugs when I tapered off the feed, until switching back to a regular lid.

 

[Countryboy]

But the 3 frames they came with are built out thicker than the wooden top bar

Bees will draw out honey storage cells more than brood cells. Bees like to store honey at the top of brood frames. If they have space, the bees will draw the combs at the top thicker. By placing a sheet of foundation inbetween the frames, you are just giving the bees room to draw the honey storage cells longer.

Are your frames pressed tightly together? If not, this gives the bees even more room to create fatter comb at the top of the frame.

I have found that if I run 1 1/4 inch wide frames, and keep the frames pressed tightly together, I don't have the problem of the bees making fat combs for honey at the top of the frame. If you go to the 1:06 time in this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMVwNHn8bzc I show a 1 1/4 brood frame, and how uniform the comb thickness is.