Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Nonprophet on May 05, 2013, 11:57:41 pm

Title: 3 weeks in, any good reason to inspect the 1st deep now?
Post by: Nonprophet on May 05, 2013, 11:57:41 pm
3 weeks into my first package. Last week I added a second deep as the girls had built out 7 of the 9 frames in the first box and they were 1/3 of the way on the last 2 frames. I went in today just to feed, they seem to be slowing down quite a bit on feeding with so much in bloom right now. I checked the middle 2 or 3 frames of the second (top) deep and they are building comb on the middle 3-4 frames quite nicely. No sign of eggs in the 2nd deep yet. Seems like everything is going well, so I didn't open up the first deep to check it--is there any reason I should do that?

I've still got the entrance reducer on so they have about a 2" opening. I noticed earlier today that they were stacking up somewhat at the entrance--though it certainly wasn't major congestion, maybe 10-15 bees trying to get in at the same time. I'm thinking I should probably wait another 2-3 weeks to open up the entrance more (maybe all yhe way?) would others agree? I had capped brood as of at least a week ago, so there should be more girls soon.....

As always, thanks for the help and advice!

NP
Title: Re: 3 weeks in, any good reason to inspect the 1st deep now?
Post by: Course Bee on May 06, 2013, 12:03:39 am
You don't need to look any further than to see if there are eggs and or very young brood or the queen and see if they need more room.

As for the entrance, I would leave it reduced for another week or so and then as the congestion increases open to the next larger and then to completely open around one to two weeks later.
Title: Re: 3 weeks in, any good reason to inspect the 1st deep now?
Post by: Kathyp on May 06, 2013, 12:46:40 am
sometimes i don't ever take my entrance reducers off.  i just flip them to the big side and leave them on.  less entrance for the bees to defend if something decides to rob them.

when i have two deeps on i'll take a flashlight out with me and when i have pulled a few frames from the top, i'll just shine the light down to the bottom box to see if everything looks ok.  i add my 2nd box to the bottom so i need to check to see that they are using it ok  and drawing it out if it needs drawn.  most of what i want to see, can be seen from the top.
Title: Re: 3 weeks in, any good reason to inspect the 1st deep now?
Post by: Finski on May 06, 2013, 05:19:20 am
3 weeks into my first package. Last week I added a second deep as the girls had built out 7 of the 9 frames in the first box and they were 1/3 of the way on the last 2 frames. I went in today just to feed, they seem to be slowing down quite a bit on feeding with so much in bloom right now.

You was too early to give a second box.

The colony has declining number of bees before new bees start to emerge. It happends after 4 weeks.

First box has still 22% not drawn. it is almost 1/4!!

The colony cannot cover 2 box because it was not able to cover one box.

I would take away the second box and I would wait that new bees have filled the first box.

Title: Re: 3 weeks in, any good reason to inspect the 1st deep now?
Post by: Nonprophet on May 06, 2013, 01:01:14 pm
HI Finski,

Well, I must admit to being confused. Just about every bking book or piece of literature I have read says that once they have built out 7 of 10 frames that you should add a second box. Taking one box away now that they've already started building it out seems kind of extreme. Overnight temps are in the 50-60's now and daytime temps are in the 80's, seems like they should be ok?


3 weeks into my first package. Last week I added a second deep as the girls had built out 7 of the 9 frames in the first box and they were 1/3 of the way on the last 2 frames. I went in today just to feed, they seem to be slowing down quite a bit on feeding with so much in bloom right now.

You was too early to give a second box.

The colony has declining number of bees before new bees start to emerge. It happends after 4 weeks.

First box has still 22% not drawn. it is almost 1/4!!

The colony cannot cover 2 box because it was not able to cover one box.

I would take away the second box and I would wait that new bees have filled the first box.


Title: Re: 3 weeks in, any good reason to inspect the 1st deep now?
Post by: Kathyp on May 06, 2013, 01:20:46 pm
you are probably ok.  i go more by what they have filled, than by what they have built, although the two are usually closely related because they build what they will use.

i think finsky is making the point that you won't have enough bees to cover all that when it takes almost a month for new bees to hatch out.  his right about that and so you need to be careful not to give to much room to quickly BUT we are in the middle of a flow so if you don't expand, you will end up honey bound with not enough room for the queen to lay.

one thing you do want to check and do it now before your top box is filled and heavy:  is there honey stored over the tops of the frames in your lower box?  if so, your queen may not cross it to lay in your upper box.  that's one of the reasons i add boxes under, rather than on top. 
if you find that you have honey over the brood in the lower box, an easy fix is to pull a couple of frames up into the top box.  put empty frames in the place of those you move.