[flaboye]

I'm sure this has been gone over ad nauseum. I did try searching the forums to try to find my answer. We are new to beekeeping, we have one strong hive. It has two deeps and the 2nd deep is at the 70% mark (10 frame) Dadant. We would like to add a medium super which we have. We also have a metal queen excluder and a bee escape on hand to use at some point if needed.

So here goes. I have gathered that this is rather controversial. Should I add the medium without queen excluder, and if I do this, do I just let them decide what they wish to do with this new level or is there some way to try to manage what they will do with it? Sugar water on the frames at first to draw them in at first to entice comb drawing?

Do I add it with the queen excluder and if I do it this way how many days should I let pass before going in and determining if this worked or not?

Should I add it w/o excluder until they begin drawing it out then add the excluder?

Would just like to hear some ideas here, and I'm sure this has been already addressed and I apologize in advance for more than likely repeating a question that's been previously asked/answered.

Some ideas from you guys on this would be greatly appreciated.

We're in north central Florida, close to rivers and springs, plenty of nectar and pollen for months to come.

Thanks, Joe

 

[larrybeach]

when it comes to using a excluder it really is a personal choice. I do not use one, I run double deeps for brood then mediums for honey supers. I do sometimes find brood in my honey supers, but never a lot. I just work around it. I have a friend who runs around 200 hives and his goal is to make as much honey as possible. He likes excluders so he does not have to deal with brood in his honey harvest. he does make sure he removes them before winter so the queen can move up with the cluster. No right or wrong way, just what you prefer. if you have a good flow going then your bees will move up to your medium, no need to use sugar water imo. Good luck with your bees.

 

[flaboye]

Thanks for the reply. The hive is growing so quickly, we thought it would be nice to see if we could harvest some honey this year form them. From the looks of the cam tonight that's on the apiary they are starting to crowd the entrance again now at night which is what they did when we needed to add the 2nd deep. They filled the first 10 frame a so quickly we weren't expecting that kind of growth. This was an established 10 frame hive we bought and moved out here to our property. Thank you again for your comments.

 

[gunter62]

Most folks will tell you not to put foundation above an excluder. The bees tend to ignore it and sometimes swarm because they believe they have run out of room. Once you have drawn comb, the excluder can be used as you see fit.

 

[Tenbears]

If you super at the onset or during a good flow, the bees usually fill the comb as fast as they draw it leaving no empty cells for the queen to lay in except those left by emerging brood. that keeps her in the brood chamber out of the supers.

 

[flaboye]

Alright. I think we'll put on the first super this weekend with no excluder and see how it goes. Thanks !

If you super at the onset or during a good flow, the bees usually fill the comb as fast as they draw it leaving no empty cells for the queen to lay in except those left by emerging brood. that keeps her in the brood chamber out of the supers.

 

[burns375]

If you super at the onset or during a good flow, the bees usually fill the comb as fast as they draw it leaving no empty cells for the queen to lay in except those left by emerging brood. that keeps her in the brood chamber out of the supers.

Very true, like right now in Louisville. Clover is coming in hard. My strongest hives drew a medium out in about 3 days.

Although outside of a strong flow, she may still lay in the super. As the nectar dries it is consolidated, so if the flow stops there are open spaces. Also depends on situation in brood nest down below.

 

[flaboye]

We're very lucky where we are lots of flow, many springs close by and the Santa Fe River. No farms, no fertilizers nor pesticides. I wish I had done this years ago !!