[Breakfast with the Bees]

Installed 3-lb pkg April 16; this is my first year of beekeeping. Yesterday did a little inspection. SO many bees now, and a few drones bumbling about (don't think there were any in my package, since these are the first I've seen).

I'm using 8-frame mediums (I'm not strong enough--or tall enough--to handle anything bigger). Box one is full, box two was almost full (7 out of 8 frames drawn), so I put on box three. I still have a fourth body on top of the inner cover for the mason jar of syrup. I'm thinking it's time to quit feeding.

Since most of the books I've read assume the reader is using standard 10-frame deeps, I need some advice about what to do now. Is box 3 a "honey super"? Queen excluder or none? I saw some eggs, larvae, and capped brood in box 2, but mostly open syrup (I'm guessing it's syrup).

I didn't lift any frames out of the bottom box (figured I'd leave well enough alone), then later I panicked, thinking I should've checked for swarm cells or something--at least lift the hive and look under it, right?

Ah, newbee angst.

 

[honeydreams]

your doing fine, you won't get swarm cells your first year. Knock on wood. but you might maybe a 1 percent chance. just don't worry bees have been doing thier thing for over 6 million years. its just been 158 years with the modern hive.

 

[alpha6]

With mediums, three equals out to two deeps. So after they get that one filled out your fourth one would be what you can consider your honey super. Using an excluder is up to you...you will get both sides of using one. I don't but you may want too. If you do, pull up a couple of frames of honey into the 4th one to help them speed up the pulling out of the other frames.

Don't worry about them swarming as long as you continue to give them enough room. If many of the 2nd box is filled with nectar, pull a couple of those up into the 3rd box and place a couple of empties in the second, close to the middle. This will quicken the pull out of these and the queen should lay in them if there is plenty of nectar on the side frames.

 

[StevenG]

Mike Bush keeps bees in medium boxes, not sure if it's 8 or 10 frame, suspect 10 frame. If you've not found his site, here's a link: http://www.bushfarms.com/bees.htm

I would suggest next time you get into the hive, check the bottom box, for your own peace of mind...see what's there. With 8-frame medium equipment, you're looking at 3, if not 4 boxes, for the brood nest. Then you can start thinking about extracting supers... or honey storage for winter stores. yes, they'll start backfilling into the #3 super for winter too, but best to have too much for winter, than not enough.
Regards,
Steven

 

[Breakfast with the Bees]

Thanks, all, very helpful! So 3 med = 2 deep. For a long Nebraska winter, I should make sure they have 3 mediums full of honey? And if I'm doing that, when can I take a small "rent" payment of honey--before or after they've backfilled the brood chamber? (I know, I'm not even close to needing this information, but I like to think ahead, sometimes.)

 

[Countryboy]

If you pull too much honey, you can always feed the bees syrup to replace the stores, assuming it isn't too late in the season and too cold for the bees to take feed.

If you are planning on wintering in 3 mediums, set a target goal of 125-150 pounds for the hive, and you can take anything above that.

 

[Beeckmann]

Breakfast, 1st year packages can swarm. I had one last year that I hived on May 9th and it threw a big swarm on June 21st.

 

[StevenG]

Yes, swarming is why you simply must stay ahead of them by adding space. When they have 6-7 frames drawn out, time to add another super. Stay ahead of them. If you're checking them weekly, and they're drawing more than 2 or 3 frames a week, check more often. Don't dig all the way into them, just pop the top, see where they are on drawing the foundation. Do what you can to minimize disruption of their routine as you check them, but check them, because you have to stay ahead of them.

Oh? Did I tell you you have to stay ahead of them, or they'll swarm? :lpf:

"A swarm of bees in May is worth a ton of hay.
A swarm of bees in June is worth a silver spoon.
A swarm of bees in July isn't worth a fly."
There's a reason for that old saying... they'll swarm when conditions are such that they must for their benefit.
Regards,
Steven

 

[beedeetee]

So 3 med = 2 deep.

Three 10 frame mediums = Two 10 frame deeps. For 8 frame equipment, it would take another 8 frame medium to equal two 10 frame deeps.

Three 8 frame mediums would probably be like a deep/medium combination for a brood area. Lots of people run those, but I don't know about your area.