Hello everyone my name is Derek and I just installed three packages into three brand new hives last week.
I checked them yesterday to see if they were out of the sugar water I gave them at the time and they pretty much were.
I used something called a BeeSmart Ultimate Hive Feeder and Waterer.
I started each hive with two deep supers, and added on a empty medium super, putting the hive feeder on top of some of
the topmost deep super frames in one corner. Each feeder holds about a gallon of sugar water.
When I checked them yesterday two of the three had built ALOT of burr comb attached to the underside of the outer cover.
And although I won't be doing a full inspection of the hives until Saturday, I did not notice any drawn comb on the frames foundation
in the two hives that built the irregular burr combs attached to the underside of the outer covers.
The third SEEMS to be doing what they are supposed to, but the first two do not seem to be.
My queens are all marked and clipped so they cannot fly, and removing the burr combs from the hives might remove them
from the hives also.
Should I remove the burr combs that they have made in the empty medium supers that have the feeder in it?
Should I stop using these feeders, and go with something more basic like a perforated can, so I can put the inner cover
in and place the can over the hole, thus keeping the bees out of that empty medium super?
I am sorry to be asking all these questions, but I really need your help, and soon.
I will be inspecting and manipulating the hives tomorrow, in the afternoon or early evening.
l)erek
I checked them yesterday to see if they were out of the sugar water I gave them at the time and they pretty much were.
I used something called a BeeSmart Ultimate Hive Feeder and Waterer.
I started each hive with two deep supers, and added on a empty medium super, putting the hive feeder on top of some of
the topmost deep super frames in one corner. Each feeder holds about a gallon of sugar water.
When I checked them yesterday two of the three had built ALOT of burr comb attached to the underside of the outer cover.
And although I won't be doing a full inspection of the hives until Saturday, I did not notice any drawn comb on the frames foundation
in the two hives that built the irregular burr combs attached to the underside of the outer covers.
The third SEEMS to be doing what they are supposed to, but the first two do not seem to be.
My queens are all marked and clipped so they cannot fly, and removing the burr combs from the hives might remove them
from the hives also.
Should I remove the burr combs that they have made in the empty medium supers that have the feeder in it?
Should I stop using these feeders, and go with something more basic like a perforated can, so I can put the inner cover
in and place the can over the hole, thus keeping the bees out of that empty medium super?
I am sorry to be asking all these questions, but I really need your help, and soon.
I will be inspecting and manipulating the hives tomorrow, in the afternoon or early evening.
l)erek