[Charlie King]

Got some pics to share of my latest check.. hoping all is looking healthy to your expert eyes?

To me, they seem a bit crowded as there are very few empty cells but giving them more bars feels wrong as they are already way to big at 22 drawn bars with winter approaching, is this correct?

There are also some bars which are looking like pure nectar in amongst the brood nest. should I move them out to the back or front to avoid breaking up the brood nest ? or perhaps its getting too close to winter? what's the cut off point to rearrangements like this? (Zone 8b Goldenrod coming into flow, frost date mid October)

Thirdly, is that the queen on picture 10! (see pic comments for location)

https://plus.google.com/photos/104234417014633270359/albums/6040499892099238705

(the back 15/22 bars only as the battery died. the front 7 were very similar to the back 7)

Thanks.

 

[burns375]

looking great. I would leave it up to the bees to arrange the nest. You may want to add a few extra bars if they are on a bit of a flow and nectar in the brood nest, hard to tell with flash. Goldenrod and fall flow hits us in about 5 weeks here, I always make sure there is empty space, typically there is open honey super comb from harvest early in the season.

 

[beesohappy]

Your dead on about the queen being in the 10th picture. Really dark. Maybe call her "Black Beauty" LOL!!

 

[Charlie King]

Haha good one, she is certainly runny enough! You got me thinking though, Norfolk is known for its black turkey. From now on when people ask me what race these bees are, I will call them norfolk black!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_turkey

 

[Charlie King]

Cheers for your ideas burns, everything is 4-6 weeks ahead this year due to the best growing season in over a decade so we are probably not hugely far off normally :O

Perhaps I need to account for this and add more space though as you say. there is meant to be an amazing ivy flow in the area later on too! Is there such a thing as too much space in this situation?

 

[burns375]

Not during a flow, add a bar or two and see what they do. Looks like you know what you're doing im sure you'll do the right thing.

 

[mala54]

You've got a good looking hive/bees. Good job!