I caught a swarm in the middle/early part of July. They have been doing well so far and are about to complete their 1st deep. I will be adding the second deep in a day or 2. The second deep will have all 10 drawn frames that I have from last year. I will be placing 2-3 frames with pollen already in them to help them out along with some frames with open cells for the Queen to immediately start laying in.
Another of my hives is doing so great that I have a few deeps on it for supers which they are starting to cap.
I am planning on taking a few frames from the strong hive and putting them into the swarm hive to help them along as much as I can to get them on track for the end of the season. (I usually pull my supers at the end of August and let them start to store the brood nest). My goal is to just get them built up well enough that over wintering is a good possibility.
1. How many frames of honey would you suggest that I place into the swarm hive, 2, 4, other???
2. or should I let them draw out their own comb, or give them frames of empty drawn to store themselves?
Thanks, juzzer
Another of my hives is doing so great that I have a few deeps on it for supers which they are starting to cap.
I am planning on taking a few frames from the strong hive and putting them into the swarm hive to help them along as much as I can to get them on track for the end of the season. (I usually pull my supers at the end of August and let them start to store the brood nest). My goal is to just get them built up well enough that over wintering is a good possibility.
1. How many frames of honey would you suggest that I place into the swarm hive, 2, 4, other???
2. or should I let them draw out their own comb, or give them frames of empty drawn to store themselves?
Thanks, juzzer