In a good kinda fix

1762 Views 5 Replies 4 Participants Last post by kenr, Jul 29, 2010

kenr

Discussion Starter · Jul 26, 2010

Looked into my hive today and saw that I've got nectar and honey in four of my medium supers 80% not capped.Although I would like the honey I'm planning to do splits(my first) with this hive.Would I be smarter to set these four supers aside and let these bees rob it and make a super of new comb and honey to do the split next spring or wait and rob them.I use permacomb for my honey supers thats the reason that they would need to make new comb.I've only got one hive so far maybe next year.Any suggestion will be helpful because I'm on unfamiliar ground here.

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JOHNYOGA2

· #2 · Jul 27, 2010

Hi Kenr,
I'm from the midwest, Zone Five, and we go into winter with two deeps and maybe a little more. If you have two deeps and four honey supers on top of that, I would harvest those four (if you can do it without damaging the comb),then set them back on the hive. That will give you four mediums full of comb for next spring. I would NOT encourage robbing behavior. If your hive just consists of four mediums, I might consider harvesting one and placing it back on the hive. You still have 8-12 weeks of good weather.

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kenr

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jul 27, 2010

John thanks for the reply these four supers are plastic frames used for honey production only I have no wax frames to use in the splits.Thats the reason that I was going to set these four aside and put an empty super with frames and starter strips on my hive so these girls would take this honey and build wax and fill it with honey(I hope)and use this with the splits for next spring.

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rkereid

· #4 · Jul 27, 2010

If you are doing splits this time of year, make sure they are strong enough to build and reorganize for overwintering. I'm just a little north of you and we can end up in a dearth (depending on weather) over the next couple of months, meaning the bees will not bring in much nectar. If that is the case, you would want to save that honey to give to your splits/colonies so they have enough.

I also would discourage robbing, it gets vicious.

Richard

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Robee

· #5 · Jul 28, 2010

I made my first split using just 3 or 4 frames, put in the middle of the box, and put frames with starter strips on both sides and they built them out quickly. They never went up out of that first deep though last year.
My guess would be that you have a single deep brood nest? Perhaps you could remove your supers, put another deep on and then put the honey supers back on top.
Good luck with the spring split. I plan on doing a couple next spring myself.
No expert here but I like to experiment and try new things. This is my 3'rd year.
Robee

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kenr

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jul 29, 2010

Thanks Robee I use all mediums the supers that have the honey in them are all permacomb although some here use it in the brood I don't.Thats the main reason that I'm wanting to let the ladys take this honey out and use it to make new comb to do the splits with next spring.And hopefully fill at least some of it with this fall flow.

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