how often do you check brood during supering?

[goodeva]

Just a inquiry on how often people do a complete inspection while they have supers on the hive. I open the lid and check the top super once a week to see if I need to add another one. I rarely break the hives all the way down during the summer.

[Brian D. Bray]

A complete check is not done very often as it disrupts the bees and can disrupt a honey flow.  I check mine thuroughly in the spring to check on overall condition and possible need to feed.  I then check later to assess swarm potential in mid-April to mid-May.  After that its just a quick peek now & then to see if any problems may be brewing.
I make a thurough check again about 2 weeks after honey harvest to assess winter stores.

[TwT]

Im with Brain, I check my hives a few times in the early spring, but when the flow starts, I only peek at the supers unless I notice something wrong at the entrance like low traffic or others kinds of stuff that dont look right... I do a complete inspection when I remove the supers...

[amymcg]

I do the same as Ted

[Brian D. Bray]

TwT,

My memory is too faulty to be called a Brain so I settle for Brian.

[TwT]

TwT,

My memory is too faulty to be called a Brain so I settle for Brian.

awww, sorry I still can't spell ;) , it was a typo, I always do that  :lol: ,,,, I might just use Brain as a nick name for you Brian , Finsky calls me the Professor  :D  when thats what I should call him because he has taught me a lot about honey production in his area and that has helped me figure my area out my area with the help of what my bee's shown me.... but I always plant pastures for my bee's, need to around here, not much farm land...

[Understudy]

I take a serious peek about every two weeks. The problem is when you have four of five boxes stacked. and you start pulling off boxes, they get moody.
I tend to check the top few frames and look futher down.

I had to change a hive yesterday from a solid bottom to a screened bottom and I also had to add another medium t it so I figured I would do it all at once. I was thanked by having the bees gang up on me and demand my lunch money. My wife counted over 40 stingers in the shirt I only felt like 6 of them.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

[Apis629]

You just yesterday went to a screened bottom?  You were supposed to be the proactive one with the three mediums and the upper enterance. As for them getting moody, I don't know about that untill after I remove the first frame from the brood chamber.  Untill that I usually don't have a single sting...with the exception of durring the Orange flow.  That's when the only bees left are old and grumpy.  I'll usually wear gloves for about 2 weeks durring that flow.

[Understudy]

You just yesterday went to a screened bottom?

I have some hives I am setting up to go to my sisters property. I didn't have enough screened bottoms and needed to order more. I wasn't going to move them until that happened. In about a month I am going to take a couple to her property.

  You were supposed to be the proactive one with the three mediums and the upper enterance. As for them getting moody, I don't know about that untill after I remove the first frame from the brood chamber.  Untill that I usually don't have a single sting...with the exception of durring the Orange flow.  That's when the only bees left are old and grumpy.  I'll usually wear gloves for about 2 weeks durring that flow.

Well it had one deep from a prexisting setup. It also had one medium. I wanted to add another medium. I am going to cycle out the deeps completly next year but until then I am reusing what I have because I am poor or what I get from others.

When adding the medium, I wanted to put it between the deep and medium and I wanted to change the bottom.  So I took the top medium off set it aside then I took the deep off and set it aside. All the bees sitting on the bottom board put  on leather and chains and came off the board as soon as I move it. They demanded a chance to show how tough they were. They succeded.

I put the screened board on, then the deep, then the new medium and then the top medium and then the cover. The bees are going back to a normal state but if I get close they send out a guard to yell at me.

Also I think slotted boards are not bad either. I just don't have any yet. But next year I may try a couple.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

[Brian D. Bray]

Once you try the slatted rack you'll wonder why you waited so long.  The only down side (That I've been made aware of) is that it gives a place for the SHB to hide.  I redesigned mine using 1 inch dowling that runs parallel with the frames so that the mites and other parasites fall through.

[latebee]

Dont deny it Brian you are a Brain!  Thanks for all your input on the forum:D  :D

[Finsky]

We have swaming time on here. I look every week which hive is going to swarm. If they have swarm cells it is better to make flying swarm to foundations. Now raspberry started to bloom. it hints swarming.

 It depends on nectar flow and weathers what I look for. Rape is late and it starts bloming in the first half of July.

If honey is much coming in, I look if brood boxes are filled with nectar. Hive may try to swar if it is too full. If nothing happens it may take 1 month and I need not to look into brood box in July.

Disease control is however important all the season around.

[BEE C]

I was worried I was bugging my bees too much in the spring, so for the last two weeks i've done a once a week only full check.  This morning while having my coffee out on the deck i nearly filled my shorts...a CLOUD of bees about one hundred feet wide and tall! I watched in horror as they moved from the front of my hives to 70 feet up a fir tree and landed on a branch...I ran out to the hives to look but everything looked normal.  I quickly broke  :D  the boxes apart and checked.  I didn't notice any less bees and even saw one of the queens, as well as uncapped larvae in all stages.  Drove like mad to my neighbours to ask if she lost a swarm but no...as of tonight its still in the tree ( i had to go to work).  Tomorrow I plan on cleaning my shorts out and baiting it, my first try at this... :D they look like a couple of four pound packages from the top of my ladder... :D more than both of my new hives!  None the less, I think someone somewhere is hoping they had checked for queen cells more regularly.