[Pablo]

Did a full inspection today, been maybe a month since the last one.

I have 2 deeps filled, 1 super built out and getting filled, and 1 untouched super on. Everything in the deeps looked fine, found eggs, pollen, honey (capped/uncapped), larva, and all that good stuff. Tho one thing i noticed on several frames, it seems like they just did a poor job building out, either bumpy and irregularly built or only the area towards the middle was used ( maybe like 3/4ths or 1/3rd used) Anybody experience this and is it worth doing anything for it?


2nd major thing was i found eggs in the 1st super ( in the 3 middle frames ). So i separated out the eggless and egged frames into the 2 differ supers, maybe absolutely sure the queen was not in them ( multiple checks ). put the excluder on, then added the eggless super back on and put the egged super in the freezer to kill the eggs. Then im planning to add that super back on in a few hours.

Was this the right plan o' action? I wanted to attempt to not use an excluder (top entrance) but seems she still wanted to lay eggs. What would some of you do, and what are your experiences dealing with this situation?

Thanks,

Pablo

 

[honeybeekeeper]

I would use the queen excluder on top and let her do what she does best! When the time comes when you want to do a split you can go back through at that time and see what you have! No harm done! Just make sure they have enough to get through winter is the main thing! Good Luck!

 

[NasalSponge]

Since you are using an excluder, I would have put the frames with the eggs on top of it, this will cause the bees to cross it to tend the brood. No harm done.

 

[honeybeekeeper]

BUT If it was me i wouldnt use the queen excluder at all!!! But dont kill no eggs, leave them there! Alot of times the bees wont go through the excluder but if you found that they have then great!! NO HARM DONE!!!!

 

[mike haney]

do a search at the top of the page for "checkerboarding". done correctly, it will eliminate the need to lay in the supers.
good luck,mike

 

[indypartridge]

What would some of you do, and what are your experiences dealing with this situation?

I've had queens lay in supers and done nothing. I let them have all the space they want for brood. As others have said, there's no right or wrong answer, just your personal preference as to using excluders or not, and whether brood in supers bothers you.

 

[Pablo]

"I've had queens lay in supers and done nothing. I let them have all the space they want for brood."


what do you do with them then? just not extract those frames?

Pablo

 

[mike haney]

"...just not extract those frames?"
when you have your major flow, the bees will force the queen back down to lay in empty spaces below and will backfill the spaces she layed in in the super with honey.with patience and good timing you can hardly tell it unless you use "cut comb honey" from those frames.

 

[jeff123fish]

sounds to me like you have an egg laying machine for a queen let her do her thing and you will get more honey in the end

good luck