[Jackam]

I split a strong hive and all went well. Installed a second deep super on July 19. The bees never seemed to accept it for brood and kept filling it with honey stores. Well, it's full now and I just added a shallow honey super.

What could I have done to prevent this?
I guess I'll harvest the deep (and the shallow) but see no way for these bees to overwinter if I do. What do you recommend?
Is there a chance that they'd make it through a Michigan Winter with the two deeps if I left the honey filled deep on?

Argh this bee stuff is frustrating!

I just want to do the right thing.

 

[AR Beekeeper]

You can always harvest the honey and feed sugar syrup for winter stores. You will need to know the weight of food stores necessary for overwintering and feed until that weight is reached.

 

[rwlaw]

The main flow is over here in Michigan, the only thing left is the goldenrod and aster. I’ve been pulling 4 frames off the stronger hives, 1 or two off the smaller ones to prevent the brood nest from getting back filled and them getting swarmy. If you could pull and extract 3 or 4 frames out of the top box you’d probably be all set going into fall.

 

[Gumpy]

They should do fine in two deeps with the top one full of honey. That's the setup you should have going into winter. Cluster in the bottom. Top full of honey. Bees will move up throughout winter.

If they don't use it all during winter, you can extract the remainder in the spring.

 

[Jackam]

Thanks for the input.

rwlaw - If I pull the frames, they'll surely fill the new ones with goldenrod. By doing so, it will keep em busy and then fall right into Gumpy's scenerio.

Sounds like sound advice.

I planned on OAVing, but if I did, there would be no extracting in the Spring (if they didn't make it.)