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Author Topic: When to add another hive body?  (Read 4530 times)

Offline jaseemtp

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When to add another hive body?
« on: April 18, 2011, 12:37:15 pm »
Hey I just started keeping bees, I started with three pound packages.  Right now I have my bees in 8 fame mediums and was wondering when should I give them another 8 frames of foundation.  There are enough bees to cover 5 of the 8 frames now.  Not all of the foundation is drawn out yet either. 
Thanks for the help
Jason
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Offline VolunteerK9

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Re: When to add another hive body?
« Reply #1 on: April 18, 2011, 01:28:32 pm »
I add when I have 7 out of 10 frames drawn. I would say that it would be safe for you to go ahead and add another.
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Offline njoylife10

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Re: When to add another hive body?
« Reply #2 on: April 18, 2011, 07:31:03 pm »
I'm with volunteerK9.  I usually wait until 7-8 frames are fully waxed then add on the next hive body or super.

njoylife10
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Offline AllenF

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Re: When to add another hive body?
« Reply #3 on: April 18, 2011, 07:32:03 pm »
Ditto.
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Offline hardwood

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Re: When to add another hive body?
« Reply #4 on: April 18, 2011, 09:34:19 pm »
Same here.

Scott
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"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: When to add another hive body?
« Reply #5 on: April 19, 2011, 12:52:21 am »
Drawing wax and raising brood require heat.  A smaller box is easier to keep warm.  Add the second when the first is 80% full, as everyone is saying.
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Offline TwoHoneys

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Re: When to add another hive body?
« Reply #6 on: April 19, 2011, 07:57:33 am »
Quote from: Michael Bush on April 19, 2011, 12:52:21 am
Drawing wax and raising brood require heat.  A smaller box is easier to keep warm.  Add the second when the first is 80% full, as everyone is saying.


For three years I've heard to wait until the previous box is 80% drawn before adding another, but this is the first time I've heard an explanation for doing it. Or...perhaps it's been explained and I wasn't yet ready to understand it. Now I get it. Light bulb!

-Liz
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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: When to add another hive body?
« Reply #7 on: April 19, 2011, 09:26:32 pm »
Glad I could help.
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Offline jaseemtp

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Re: When to add another hive body?
« Reply #8 on: April 19, 2011, 10:21:44 pm »
Thanks for the feedback y'all.
Jason
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Offline Finski

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Re: When to add another hive body?
« Reply #9 on: April 20, 2011, 01:02:45 am »
.
You may add second box under the brood box. That does not disturb much the heat economy of brood box. When the lower box is partly occupied, the turn over boxes.
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Offline hardwood

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Re: When to add another hive body?
« Reply #10 on: April 20, 2011, 01:28:58 am »
Finski, he's in Texas...very warm climate.

Scott
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"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Offline jaseemtp

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Re: When to add another hive body?
« Reply #11 on: April 21, 2011, 06:03:08 pm »
Yep its very warm, it was up to 100 two days ago then a "cold" front hit and now its 75
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