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BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: txbeegal on March 26, 2013, 11:45:27 am

Title: Supered too early?
Post by: txbeegal on March 26, 2013, 11:45:27 am

Hello all,
I am new here and new to beekeeping.  This will be my second Spring with the bees and I hope I did right.  I inspected a couple of weeks ago and all was well.  I didn't spot the queen in any of the 5 hives, but they had plenty of stores and brood and pollen is in abundance here.  I added one super to 4 of the hives just so they had enough room.  I just recieved the foundation for the supers in yesterday.  Should I go ahead and feed them to draw out the comb?  Did I jump the gun on adding the supers?  Thanks in advance.  I live in Central Texas where we have mild winters and we have lots of flowers blooming right now. 

Title: Re: Supered too early?
Post by: D Coates on March 26, 2013, 12:21:56 pm

Welcome to the forum.  What parts of central TX?  I grew up outside SA and lived outside Austin for 10+ years.  If the respective hive(s) is filling the 2 deeps than I'd say you were right to add a super.  They need the room and you may have a flow on (the laurels are blooming aren't they?).  It's a perfect time to let them get used to the added space, reduce swarming impulses and get to drawing comb.  I would not feed.  They should be getting plenty elsewhere and they'll ignore it, though the fire ants may not.

Title: Re: Supered too early?
Post by: Kathyp on March 26, 2013, 01:57:36 pm

Quote

I just recieved the foundation for the supers in yesterday.

did you put empty boxes on??

Title: Re: Supered too early?
Post by: 10framer on March 26, 2013, 06:32:48 pm

Quote from: kathyp on March 26, 2013, 01:57:36 pm

Quote

I just recieved the foundation for the supers in yesterday.

did you put empty boxes on??

i was wondering the same thing but she asks if she should feed to get them to draw it out. 

Title: Re: Supered too early?
Post by: Kathyp on March 26, 2013, 07:26:44 pm

right, but then that she just got the foundation.  i'm confused  :-D

Title: Re: Supered too early?
Post by: txbeegal on March 27, 2013, 06:54:31 pm

Ok, so I am blonde and I do confuse people alot, LOL.  Sorry.  I put supers on with foundationless frames.  I didn't have any foundation at the time they needed the supers, so I just used them that way.  I have since ordered some and received it, so what should I do???  Leave them and let them draw out the comb themselves.  Yes, we do have lots of stuff blooming right now.  The bluebonnets and other wildflowers and we are supposed to get rain this weekend, which will bring other stuff out.  I am near Waco, Southeast about 40 miles.  Hopefully we got our last freeze on Mon and Tue night.  Hopefully there wasn't a problem with them keeping warm.  I worry about the girls like they are my kids, lol.  I got them mainly for pollination.  I have enjoyed every minute with them.  Thanks ya'll:)

Title: Re: Supered too early?
Post by: 10framer on March 27, 2013, 07:16:58 pm

i'd at least put foundation in every other frame.