I’ve recently been given opportunity to manage 2 hives for a friend this summer. I was able to look at them yesterday.
Both are in 3 deeps. Top deep full of honey and lower two serving as brood chambers. One swarmed around May 20, has a new Queen that hasn’t started laying yet.
The other hive has just started making swarm cells. Queen is still laying but certainly slowing her pace.
The blackberries have just started blooming.
I’m hoping to take advantage of the honey flow without having the hive swarm. I cut out all swarm cells I could find but know it’s hard to find them all. Most just had an egg in them. A couple had RJ in them but not far along.
I took the top deep off each hive and replaced with 2 honey supers with foundation and no Queen excluder.
I’m wondering what my best course of action should be? Thank you
Both are in 3 deeps. Top deep full of honey and lower two serving as brood chambers. One swarmed around May 20, has a new Queen that hasn’t started laying yet.
The other hive has just started making swarm cells. Queen is still laying but certainly slowing her pace.
The blackberries have just started blooming.
I’m hoping to take advantage of the honey flow without having the hive swarm. I cut out all swarm cells I could find but know it’s hard to find them all. Most just had an egg in them. A couple had RJ in them but not far along.
I took the top deep off each hive and replaced with 2 honey supers with foundation and no Queen excluder.
I’m wondering what my best course of action should be? Thank you