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Author Topic: How crowded is to crowded for bees in their hives ?  (Read 4653 times)

Offline Joelel

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How crowded is to crowded for bees in their hives ?
« on: August 01, 2009, 06:04:04 pm »
How crowded is to crowded for bees in their hives ?
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Acts2:37: Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39: For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
40: And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation

Offline BearCountry

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Re: How crowded is to crowded for bees in their hives ?
« Reply #1 on: August 01, 2009, 10:52:08 pm »
My understanding is that if the queen has room in the brood boxes to lay more eggs and the bees have some space to store more honey if needed then they don't feel it is too crowded.  If those conditions are met and the hive is still boiling over with bees, I think that is just a healthy hive.
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Offline riverrat

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Re: How crowded is to crowded for bees in their hives ?
« Reply #2 on: August 02, 2009, 10:52:29 am »
I am going to go out on a limb here. What I have seen with bees is a lot like humans they each have there own idea has to what their definition of crowded actually is :)
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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: How crowded is to crowded for bees in their hives ?
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2009, 09:45:03 pm »
If all the combs are drawn, full of bees and they are bearding they are definitely too crowded.  You should never let them get that way or they will swarm.
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Offline johnnybigfish

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Re: How crowded is to crowded for bees in their hives ?
« Reply #4 on: August 08, 2009, 09:49:33 pm »
Hey MB!
 Will they still swarm this late in the summer, or will they just hang around, and the queen not lay eggs anymore?

your friend,
john
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Offline Wynoochee_newbee_guy

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Re: How crowded is to crowded for bees in their hives ?
« Reply #5 on: August 10, 2009, 12:42:46 pm »
these are some good questions. I know this week checking on my bees when I opened up my hive I had bees all over the inside of my top cover and my bees looked cramed packed in there. and i have two deeps three mediums on and man alive.
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Offline Kathyp

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Re: How crowded is to crowded for bees in their hives ?
« Reply #6 on: August 10, 2009, 12:50:32 pm »
wynoochee, look and see how much brood you have.  mine is considerably less, and they are kicking out drones.  most already gone.  there is no flow, and the days are getting shorter.  you probably don't need to worry about space at this time as your population should not grow between now and winter.  i might be a little ahead of you as we go toward winter, but probably not much.  especially in day length.
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Offline David LaFerney

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Re: How crowded is to crowded for bees in their hives ?
« Reply #7 on: August 10, 2009, 02:27:29 pm »
Quote from: Wynoochee_newbee_guy on August 10, 2009, 12:42:46 pm
these are some good questions. I know this week checking on my bees when I opened up my hive I had bees all over the inside of my top cover and my bees looked cramed packed in there. and i have two deeps three mediums on and man alive.

Sounds exactly like how my hive looked a few days ago - except frost is about 10 weeks away here and a flow is on.  I gave them some more room.
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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: How crowded is to crowded for bees in their hives ?
« Reply #8 on: August 10, 2009, 08:49:03 pm »
> Will they still swarm this late in the summer, or will they just hang around, and the queen not lay eggs anymore?

Hard to say for sure, but I have seen them swarm under such conditions even this late.  But they will tolerate more crowding now than they would have earlier int he year.
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Offline bee-nuts

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Re: How crowded is to crowded for bees in their hives ?
« Reply #9 on: August 11, 2009, 04:03:21 am »
A book I read said 20% of hives will swarm in August if left unchecked in a flow in the north.  I imagine if there is still good weather and a good flow on, you better make room.
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Offline Chick

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Re: How crowded is to crowded for bees in their hives ?
« Reply #10 on: August 11, 2009, 12:23:00 pm »
I have 2 brood boxes, on my hives, but the second one is full of honey. I had planned to leave this for the winter, but it looks like I will have to rob a few frames, and give them more room. There is a medium super above the 2 brood boxes, but neither of the hives have taken advantage of it. They have started drawing out comb, but not very fast.
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Offline goertzen29

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Re: How crowded is to crowded for bees in their hives ?
« Reply #11 on: August 11, 2009, 11:14:39 pm »
Hey I have a similar situation with one of my hives getting crowded, I have three deeps and one medium on it and they're filling it up.  Is there a negative to adding another super for a couple weeks and if they dont fill it just extract it and feed it back to them?  Everyone says its getting late in the year but I cant imagine what would happen to that hive if I took it down to winter size of 2 deeps, I'm scared they'd swarm.
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Offline Joelel

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Re: How crowded is to crowded for bees in their hives ?
« Reply #12 on: August 12, 2009, 12:35:35 pm »
It never hurts to give them plenty of room until it gets about 60% and then remove the suppers.
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Acts2:37: Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39: For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
40: And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation

Offline Joelel

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Re: How crowded is to crowded for bees in their hives ?
« Reply #13 on: August 12, 2009, 12:42:53 pm »
I understand that alot of people only extract honey ones a year,they leave all the suppers and keep adding suppers until it gets about 60% and then extract from all suppers.
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Acts2:37: Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39: For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
40: And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation

Offline Kathyp

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Re: How crowded is to crowded for bees in their hives ?
« Reply #14 on: August 12, 2009, 02:44:14 pm »
goertzen29, there is no harm in giving them the extra room as long as the weather is good.  make sure you remove extra as soon as the weather turns.  you are in a cold winter area.  i'd imagine that your brood production will begin to go down now in preparation for winter.
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Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.
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