[MTN-Bees]

This is the 1st year making up overwintering nucs. I'm using the 4 over 4 MP nuc boxes. I have 4 setup as brood factories that have a third four frame deep on top. The problem is the bees are filling comb I put back for queen laying with honey after I put frames back in after removing brood frames for making up the nucs. I'm going to start extracting honey from combs and pull capped honey frames and hold them for overwintering and put foundation in place of the capped frames. The process has been slowed greatly as I had planned on overwintering 16 nucs and I'm about halfway there.

Any thoughts on managing this?

 

[Adrian Quiney WI]

Putting in empty undrawn frames is a good use of the workforce. Are you adding the drawn frames to the top of the stack or the bottom?

 

[MTN-Bees]

The last week I moved some capped brood to the top of the stack to make some space, that was a mistake. As brood emerged they filled it with nectar. My plan is to put comb close to where the queen is laying and put undrawn frames near the top and outside. Up until last week the queen was working the 3 deep frames in the center. I think the flow is so good right now she can't compete for space with the workers.

 

[winevines]

Putting in empty undrawn frames is a good use of the workforce. Are you adding the drawn frames to the top of the stack or the bottom?

If there is a nectar flow or feeding heavily- having them draw the foundation works well. Or freeze the honey frames and give them back later in August or Sept depending on what the nuc looks like.