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Here is my predicament.
I use all mediums. No queen excluder. I tried to follow Walt Wrightâs ideas about keeping empty supers on top.
So Right now I have a total of 7 mediums, as follows.
Top 2 are full of capped honey.
Next one they are just starting to draw out. I added this one 2 weeks ago.
Fourth from the bottom has 4 frames of capped honey, 2 on either side, with brood and pollen in the middle frames which are capped with honey arch, very nice brood patterns
Third from the bottom has 2 capped honey frames, one on either side, then pollen, brood and open cells with nectar.
Second from the bottom is all pollen and nectar, with just a little brood in the top of the middle frames.
Bottom is all pollen and nectar.
I had planned on harvesting the top 2 supers tomorrow, since I thought they were all âextraâ honey. But now I am thinking that I need to keep that honey on the hive to get them through the winter. But it seems ridiculous to winter with so many boxes!
There is lots of goldenrod blooming now and asters are coming on. I donât know what to do.
Should I let them winter in 6 mediums, with the top 2 full of honey?
Being in Ohio I wanted to give them lots of stores. If I take off the top 2 supers of honey, I will be back to my goal of 4 mediums for winter, plus an extra for them to fill up this fall. But I am worried if I do this that they will not have enough to get through.
I counted 30 frames of capped honey. But there is lots of nectar uncapped and lots of pollen.
Please give me your thoughts! Or Walt Wrightâs phone number!
I use all mediums. No queen excluder. I tried to follow Walt Wrightâs ideas about keeping empty supers on top.
So Right now I have a total of 7 mediums, as follows.
Top 2 are full of capped honey.
Next one they are just starting to draw out. I added this one 2 weeks ago.
Fourth from the bottom has 4 frames of capped honey, 2 on either side, with brood and pollen in the middle frames which are capped with honey arch, very nice brood patterns
Third from the bottom has 2 capped honey frames, one on either side, then pollen, brood and open cells with nectar.
Second from the bottom is all pollen and nectar, with just a little brood in the top of the middle frames.
Bottom is all pollen and nectar.
I had planned on harvesting the top 2 supers tomorrow, since I thought they were all âextraâ honey. But now I am thinking that I need to keep that honey on the hive to get them through the winter. But it seems ridiculous to winter with so many boxes!
There is lots of goldenrod blooming now and asters are coming on. I donât know what to do.
Should I let them winter in 6 mediums, with the top 2 full of honey?
Being in Ohio I wanted to give them lots of stores. If I take off the top 2 supers of honey, I will be back to my goal of 4 mediums for winter, plus an extra for them to fill up this fall. But I am worried if I do this that they will not have enough to get through.
I counted 30 frames of capped honey. But there is lots of nectar uncapped and lots of pollen.
Please give me your thoughts! Or Walt Wrightâs phone number!