[pp270]

I live in WI and overwintered my hive with two deeps and one super. I went last night to pull the super so no brood is produced in it to replace with a top feeder, but noticed the bees were still tight to one side where there was honey stores so decided to leave it on as there is nothing blooming here yet. I am currently just using an open feeder but would really like to switch to the top feeder. This past week it was in the 50-60s here but next week suppose to drop into mid to high 20s at night again with low 40 during the day.

My question is what do you recommend:

1. Leave super on and continue to open feed until it warms up more? Also concerned they will start storing sugar water in super if left on.

2. Pull the super and add top feeder? What if queen is in cluster that is in the super.

3. Put feeder on top of super. Won't this ensure sugar water will be stored in super?

 

[stajerc61]

I am in the same boat as you. Two deeps and a medium overwintered. Most of my bees are at the top. I have been feeding since early March. I have several frames of brood in those top mediums and there they will stay until it is warm enough to reverse boxes. I would leave them where they are and feed if need be. Give them a brood builder patty as well. Good luck.

 

[Michael Bush]

See how complicated your life gets feeding syrup?

 

[psfred]

You have brood in that box if the bees are clustered there, no doubt about that.

Leave it alone, as MB says, until it's warm enough to reverse the boxes. Of course, they are going to fill that super with honey and move down anyway, so you may not have to do anything with it, just reverse the boxes below it when they are in the top box instead.

I left an extra box on my hive because they were a bit light and it had too much honey to let them just rob it out, so I have the same problem. Will see tomorrow when I do an inspection what they doing in there -- big flow on. Hopefully I can re-arrange to suit me, otherwise I'll have to wait a bit and watch for swarming.

Peter

 

[Connie1]

I am having the same dilemma. I have one super on ea of my hives because of some left over capped honey. I am currently feeding pollen patties as well. When I tried to remove the supers one 60 degree day, the bees would not leave the supers so I put them back on the hive! They are still on both hives and that was 2weeks ago. We still have no flow here in WNY. so I am not sure what to do. Any suggestions?

 

[Michael Bush]

If you leave the honey they will burn it up rearing brood this time of year. No need to feed them. If you take the honey, you may have to feed them if nothing is blooming yet (nothing is here yet).