2nd deep for brood box

[Carol]

I have one hive that seems to have a lot of bees. Lots of them bearding the entrance before daylight...even when cool. Should I add another deep below the one they have so they can expand the broodnest if they want to? I figured it would be warmer if the existing one were the top one. I would remove the super and put the 2 frames of empty comb in the bottom deep. I use foundationless frames.

When I did the hive check on 11.7.13 I did not find any swarm cells etc...but I am concerned they are overcrowded. This is my first year going into winter with bees. In central FL and asters still blooming. Pollen coming in.

[Moots]

I have one hive that seems to have a lot of bees. Lots of them bearding the entrance before daylight...even when cool. Should I add another deep below the one they have so they can expand the broodnest if they want to? I figured it would be warmer if the existing one were the top one. I would remove the super and put the 2 frames of empty comb in the bottom deep. I use foundationless frames.

When I did the hive check on 11.7.13 I did not find any swarm cells etc...but I am concerned they are overcrowded. This is my first year going into winter with bees. In central FL and asters still blooming. Pollen coming in.

Carol,
I'm also headed into my first winter with bees, so my 2 cents is probably worth less then you are paying for it.  :laugh:

I realize you're in Central Florida and all, but I think it's awfully late in the season to be adding a deep to the broodnest.  They may be tight, but I would think their population is probably at a high point and will start dropping as you head into winter.  That would be my guess at least....I'm sure other with more experience will chime in.

Good Luck!

[Vance G]

Carol, do you have a winter?  You really need to find a beek in your zip code and get a local solution.  I would move those outer frames in if it were me but there are varying opinions on that and I am not local.  If you add a box, your inclination to put it on the bottom is correct in my non local opinion too.  If you have a flow coming in as you may, the bees indeed do need room.  Good luck

[Bees In Miami]

Carol, So what are you running now?  Single deep for brood, and medium super?  How full is the super?  I run all single deep or double mediums for brood, then supers over excluders.  Right now they are filling second supers, and our flow is just beginning.  I tried to reach out to you before.  All this "winter" talk really does not apply to us.  Add another super if the super is full.   I am in building/painting mode now.  Your bees very likely need more room.  Our flow is opposite of the folks up North.  Curious to know what your set up is presently. 

[merince]

You need to add supers on top as Bees in Miami suggested.

[Carol]

I installed packages on Sept 5. They've only been in the hives a bit over 2 months. My "Pink" hive is well populated but not overly. There is one full frame of capped honey in it's super, but the hive check on the 7th of Nov showed a couple of empty frames in the deep.

My "Blue" hive is the one I am concerned about. It was a large package and perhaps a better Queen. It is overflowing with bees. I have windows in the back and the super has 2 frames of empty comb ( one had been capped honey but is now empty) with bees all over it and on the sides. Even the tops of the frames in the deep are covered. In the morning there are a lot of bees bearding but then they all go foraging at daylight.

When I did my hive check on Nov 7. there were 2 frames that were empty on one side. One was an outside frame and one was in the brood area. There were also some frames that were partially empty, but it may have been brood that had emerged.

I have foundationless frames but both hives were started with 5 frames of drawn comb. I split the comb that was in the hive that had swarmed twice leaving me without a Queen...which is why I started packages so late in the season.

[GSF]

When does the orange trees bloom in your area? I use to drive a big truck down to Bradenton (s of Tampa) and I want to think the orange trees were blooming in Nov, but I usually didn't get there until around 1 or 2 am and I did a turn around and headed to Kissimmee so I wasn't what you'd call fresh and alert.

[Bees In Miami]

Give your "blue" hive another super.  Our flow is just beginning. I don't know if you have Meleluca in your neck of the woods, but they are a huge flow here, and are now in full bloom!  Watch your hives carefully now.  They can explode very quickly this time of year!  Please, I beg, forget all this "winter" talk!  I have done very successful splits, in DECEMBER!  I have reached out to you before, and now.  Florida beekeeping is different!  THe little cold snaps you and I get don't phase the bees. Pretend it is summer up North, ok?  Build more frames and supers...you will need them soon!

[Carol]

Bees in Miami...   already building. I'll have 2 deeps for brood boxes and 3 medium supers for both hives.

I don't think the Orange trees bloom for awhile. I am just picking my Tangelos that have ripened and my Naval Orange tree is not quite ripe. I don't think there is Meleluca here....don't remember seeing any. Looked them up..have flowers similar to Bottlebrush. Acres and Acres of wooded wet lands around us so I could be wrong.

I know they talk of March being the swarm season here.

I also have a Top Bar Hive I would like to do a split into in the spring. That will be enough hives for me.

[Carol]

Bees.....do you run just one deep brood box or do you have unlimited broodnest? I read 2 boxes are not popular in FL and I cant figure out why....seems with the flowers blooming most of the year there would be a big build up of bees. Thanks for your help. Guess I get carried away with "winter"..

[jharris]

I'm in central fl and the big nectar flow stopped late Oct. where I'm at. I've never had bees swarm after Oct. so I wouldn't worry too much about that. After the Fall nectar flow I try to keep my hives pretty tight as numbers seem to go down until March/April. Tight hive will help them deal with pests during Winter months.

[capt44]

I would put the full box on the bottom and the empty one on top.
The bees will start filling the top one out and it will give the bees the feeling of working up all the time.
In the spring say mid February they will probably be in the top box.