[nater37]

I could not decide whether or not to use a queen excluder, so I never put one on and bees kept filling supers. I checked my bees this morning and they had a hive body and 2 supers full of honey and brood all mixed together. I was very happy to see all the bees and that all the frames are filled and did not have any intention on taking any honey this year. I have friends that live in the country and all there bees are struggling to fill there hive body and 1 super with brood and honey. I live in town and thought my bees would follow suit. I just do not know what to do from this point I put on a excluder this morning and 3rd super and moved some frames full of honey with a few drone brood up top and then got to thinking drones will not be able to get out and on my second hive i did not see brood in second super so just put on a excluder there. I am not certain if queen is on the right side of excluder so I guess I will check back next week to make sure no brood above. I just did not expect these 2 packages to explode like this and was not prepared. I do not know what to do from here should I harvest any honey or just let bees have it since there is so many or if I do how do I separate brood from honey.

 

[Jackam]

Did you start out with ONE brood super only?
Generally, one would start with one deep, wait until they have it 70-80% worked, and then add another deep. After that brood box is worked up, the honey super is added.

 

[Pete O]

Too late now but as Jackam says, you should have had two deeps before putting on any supers. The queen likes to climb to a certain height in the upper deep and lets the rest of the hive, the supers store honey. At this point I would suggest that you put as many super frames with brood into the lowest super position. I ain't no expert but what little knowledge I've gained on bees makes me dangerous; listen to the others also.

 

[Andrew Dewey]

The OP is from Texas and it would not surprise me if it is common to go with a single deep as brood chamber in his area..

If you are good at finding queen, find her and gently put her in the deep with a QE between the deep and the first super. If you have trouble finding the queen, gently shake all of the bees from the honey supers into the deep and place the QE. Nurse bees will go through the QE to care for any brood above that needs tending and meanwhile the queen can't lay any more in the honey supers. Three weeks (or the time for all the brood to hatch) and problem solved!

Managing a single deep has its challenges. Keep an eye on the brood nest to make sure that the queen has room to lay.

 

[stan.vick]

I'd just make sure they have plenty of room to expand if they want to, as for an excluder, I don't see the need in installing one. The bees are doing what they naturally do, expand upward early and then go back down in the fall filling the then empty brood comb with stores for the winter, at that time if they have more stores than they can use or defend, harvest it for yourself. I think that is better than disrupting the brood nest now. Next year you can choose to use an excluder earlier if you want. JMO

 

[nater37]

Yes, Andrew is right we go into winter with a deep and a super here where I live. And I understand not putting on until 70 - 80 % done, but I could not decide about whether or not to us excluder or not. Now I have deep and 2 supers and half of a 3rd super full of brood and honey just was not for sure how to manage it. I ordered fume board should be here next week, will try it then shake them out if it don't work.

 

[nater37]

I missed your post Stan, I already moved some of frames with just honey into top super and added empty frames in 2nd super. I am a little late in not disturbing brood nest

 

[stan.vick]

I missed your post Stan, I already moved some of frames with just honey into top super and added empty frames in 2nd super. I am a little late in not disturbing brood nest

That will work too. More than one way to manage a colony. We get hung up sometimes on "the" right way to manage bees.