[DANIEL QUINCE]

I started 3 packages on mediums, sc, 5 frames with a divider on April 15. Just took the queen cages out. The frames are almost all completely drowned. I’ll add more frames with foundation to fill up the medium, and than I’ll add starter strip frames. The question is, how many full foundation frames to add at a time and once the medium is full, where do I add frames with starter strips? In the bottom in the brood nest or in the new medium? Or should I use full foundation for another medium first?
Thanks
Daniel

 

[Sundance]

My experience (limited mind you) is to place starter strips between drawn comb in the heart of the brood nest for best results.

Let them draw it out and cycle the drawn frames out and up. Feeding starter into the brood nest.

 

[Michael Bush]

>I’ll add more frames with foundation to fill up the medium

It's not full of frames?

> and than I’ll add starter strip frames. The question is, how many full foundation frames to add at a time and once the medium is full, where do I add frames with starter strips?

You're talking about swapping them with other frames? Thee should always be a full box of frames. As far as feeding frames into the brood nest with a package, I would never feed in more than one at a time. With a booming hive I might do two per box of brood or at the most, if it's really booming, three per box of brood.

> In the bottom in the brood nest or in the new medium?

Like I said I wouldn't feed more than one at a time into the brood nest. You can put the rest wherever they fit, but I wouldn't add another box until you have 8 out of 10 frames drawn.

> Or should I use full foundation for another medium first?

It really doesn't matter if you use full foudnation or starter strips. One full foundation down the middle is nice. One drawn capped comb down the middle is better.

 

[DANIEL QUINCE]

Michael, I follow your recommendation installing the package on 5 frames. I separated the frames from the empty space with a divider that has less than 1/4" all around. Friday they were almost all drown. Saturday I moved the 5 drown frames in the center an added 5 more frames with foundation, 2 on one side and 3 on the other side. When 8 out of this 10 will be drown, as I understand, I should pull one full drown frame and place it in the middle of the next medium; replace it with a frame with a starter strip and, in the second (top) medium, add 9 frames with starter strips on each side of the full drown frame that I pulled from the bottom. Do I understand this right?
Thank you
Daniel

 

[Michael Bush]

>as I understand, I should pull one full drown frame and place it in the middle of the next medium;

If it's a drawn frame of nectar that would work well. If it's brood you better put at least two or even three up there or it may get ignored.

>replace it with a frame with a starter strip and, in the second (top) medium, add 9 frames with starter strips on each side of the full drown frame that I pulled from the bottom. Do I understand this right?

Yes, as long as the frame you put in the top isn't brood.

 

[DANIEL QUINCE]

Why would they ignore the brood frame? Isn't brood their first priority? Is there a logical explanation, or do I just need to think like a bee?

 

[drobbins]

Michael,

a bit of a parodox here
on the one hand, you're suggesting only slipping one or two new frames in a box at a time
on the other hand, in my area, the flow is rocking, they're drawing comb like crazy, they draw out 2 frames in a week
I hate to pull the hive apart every week or two to keep doing this but I do want em to keep drawing this new wax
what to do, I hate to keep disrupting them in the middle of our main flow
This is sure making the long hives where you can get to the broodnest without ripping the hive apart look good

thoughts?
cunning insights??

Dave

 

[Michael Bush]

>Why would they ignore the brood frame?

It depends on their resources, but the cluster is below. They may sacrifice one frame of brood because it's not in the brood nest. They probably won't sacrifice two or three. That's why more is a better bet.

> Isn't brood their first priority?

The brood nest is their first priority. Other brood outside the brood nest is secondary.

> Is there a logical explanation, or do I just need to think like a bee?

Think like a bee and see them do such things enough times.

>a bit of a parodox here
on the one hand, you're suggesting only slipping one or two new frames in a box at a time
on the other hand, in my area, the flow is rocking, they're drawing comb like crazy, they draw out 2 frames in a week
I hate to pull the hive apart every week or two to keep doing this but I do want em to keep drawing this new wax
what to do, I hate to keep disrupting them in the middle of our main flow

Don't you have frames in the hive? Won't they keep drawing them? I'm only talking about how many to put in the brood nest. This is a judgment call. It's usually pretty safe adding one in the brood nest with a fairly strong hive. You can easilly add two or three in the brood nest with a really strong hive. You can alternate every other frame in a REALLY strong hive and get away with it, but I never do. It's not like they are running out of frames to draw. They can just drawn the ones on the outside edge of the brood nest. If you're pretty confident they can fill the gaps with bees, try putting more in. Since I can't really make the judgment call on hives I've never seen, I'd rather err on the side of caution than give you advice that results in you stretching things too thin.

>This is sure making the long hives where you can get to the broodnest without ripping the hive apart look good [Smile]

Yes. Every kind of work makes long hives look good.