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Author Topic: Will Bees do this?  (Read 3889 times)

manowar422

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Will Bees do this?
« on: July 31, 2005, 03:00:15 pm »
I need some opinions on the following:

To start off, I must give a breakdown of my ONLY hive’s makeup.
Starting from the bottom it goes like this:

Screened Bottom Board

Medium Box- containing 10 wood frames made up of five frames of standard crimp wired foundation
(fully drawn with brood & pollen) and five frames of 4.9mm starter strips that are un-drawn
(installed as drawn*un-drawn*drawn*un-drawn, etc.)

Medium Box- containing 10 frames of the same waffled pattern of drawn and un-drawn frames

Medium Box- containing 10 new frames of 4.9mm starter strips (all un-drawn)

Queen Excluder- wood bound frame

Deep Box- containing 10 wooden frames of crimp wired foundation.(mixed with brood, pollen and honey)

Deep Box- containing 10 frames of black plastic Pierco frames.(mostly honey with some brood and pollen)

Inner Cover-

Deep Box- with screened vents that house 2 feeder jars on top of the inner cover.

Telescoping Cover-

This is my hive as of the Fourth of July weekend.

I have been feeding all along so the bees are sure to have the
materials to draw comb regardless of nectar flow conditions.

My hive is strong and I’m not concerned about a honey crop this season!

The 20 new frames, with 4.9 strips have not been fully drawn yet, but are being worked on.
(they take about 1-1/2 quarts of 1:1 syrup per day!)

 
My Goal is to have all medium boxes by November 1st,
and only natural size comb in the hive by some time early next year.


Keep in mind that here in the southern part of the country.
I will have bee-flying weather here until at least late November,
sometimes later, so they will not be pressed for time.

I intend to let the all brood that’s in the deeps above
the excluder hatch out, once they do,I’ll cut down the
two deep boxes to medium size,
install new medium frames with 1” starter strips in them
and place them back on top of the excluder.

I will then have 10 deep wood frames with honey and pollen
and 10 deep plastic frames of honey.


Now that you know facts, here’s my question…

If I scratch open the capped honey cells and place the deep
frames close by the out-side of the hive, do y’all think my bees
(and others maybe) will rob their own frames and transfer
those stores back into their hive???Thanks for your response!

Offline TwT

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Will Bees do this?
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2005, 03:38:17 pm »
sure they will rob it and any other hives you have also, plus any ferals, but I wouldn't put it close to a hive because it could start that hive being robbed also , when I extract my honey and drain the honey out fo the cappings, I put the capping behind the house and get me a beer and watch them clean up the wax good, usually dont take long to find it either, no wasted honey, I'm sure some of the old pro's might have something to add.  :wink:
THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 MONTHS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

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Amateurs built the ark,
Professionals built the Titanic

manowar422

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Will Bees do this?
« Reply #2 on: July 31, 2005, 03:46:27 pm »
I almost forgot...

I'm thinking of putting on an Imrie shim under the inner cover
to help speed things up.

Good idea, or not?

Offline drobbins

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Will Bees do this?
« Reply #3 on: July 31, 2005, 04:19:07 pm »
manowar,

it sounds like you're in exactly the same position I'm in
great minds think alike  :D
I'm doing the switch to mediums/starter strips also
I may be a few days ahead of you, I've used an excluder to keep the queen out of 1 deep and I removed it yesterday
it had pierco foundation in it and I was concerned about trying to cut the frames down to mediums but it went flawlessly.
I cut em with a tablesaw, here's a pic

http://www.drobbins.net/bee's/dsc01066.jpg

I just sat a couple of the frames on top of the hive to see how they clean em up, will give you a report later

Dave

Offline Joseph Clemens

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An idea from experience
« Reply #4 on: July 31, 2005, 04:49:30 pm »
If you're cutting them down to 6-1/4" for medium supers, you're going to want to consider cutting them down enough to then add a bottom bar of 3/8" thickness. If you don't add a bottom bar the bees will eventually connect the bottoms of your cut-off Pierco combs to the top bars of the super below, then when you go to remove a frame, you will, remove the frame, that is, leaving the comb in the box, attached to the top of the frame below. It can cause quite a mess.

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manowar422

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Will Bees do this?
« Reply #5 on: July 31, 2005, 04:59:41 pm »
Dave Nice work on the frames man!

Unfortunately 10 of the 20 frames I will end up with are one piece plastic
and are going to be more difficult to cut for my taste and skill.

All 20 frames are of the larger size and are not going to be put back!
(Manowar now hates all large cell manufactured foundation  :twisted: )

I'll give the bees a chance to transfer as much of their stores as they
can from these frames, then sell the fully drawn comb to someone who
uses deep boxes! The one piece frames should ship really well!

Offline drobbins

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Will Bees do this?
« Reply #6 on: July 31, 2005, 09:34:16 pm »
Joseph,

I thought of that, but thanks for the tip
I took 2 frames that I had cut down and sat them on top of the hive this afternoon and I can report that they will clean them out FAST!!
I didn't even uncap them or anything, they cleaned them out in a couple of hours

Dave

Offline thegolfpsycho

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Will Bees do this?
« Reply #7 on: July 31, 2005, 10:00:46 pm »
If you want them to move the honey without inciting a riot, you can scratch the caps, and put them in another box over the inner cover.  Then close them up.  They'll move the honey back down through the hole in the inner cover.  But they are doing alot of non-productive work.  Couldn't you just put your mediums on top, and when they move up in the winter, pull the deep box in the early spring?  That way they stay productive instead of moving honey around.  Sounds like they are moving the honey in a big hurry.  Are you in a dearth?

manowar422

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Will Bees do this?
« Reply #8 on: July 31, 2005, 10:42:26 pm »
Quote
If you want them to move the honey without inciting a riot, you can scratch the caps, and put them in another box over the inner cover. Then close them up. They'll move the honey back down through the hole in the inner cover. But they are doing alot of non-productive work.


Hi TGP, Hope your health is improving!

In my case, there is very little foraging activity going
on as we are about seven inches behind
on rainfall this year :shock:

I have not made up my mind about this yet,
so your idea sounds interesting to try.

I'm just hopeing they are willing to draw out those
new frames to make room for the honey they find,
where ever I end up putting those 20 deep frames.

Offline Joseph Clemens

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Will Bees do this?
« Reply #9 on: July 31, 2005, 10:45:05 pm »
I just wanted to be sure to bring it up and get it out there in case someone else decides to cut down their frames with plastic foundation and doesn't realize the fall-out affect.

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Joseph Clemens
Beekeeping since 1964
10+ years in Tucson, Arizona
12+ hives and 15+ nucs
No chemicals -- no treatments of any kind, EVER.

Offline Michael Bush

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Will Bees do this?
« Reply #10 on: August 01, 2005, 11:37:32 am »
>If you want them to move the honey without inciting a riot, you can scratch the caps, and put them in another box over the inner cover. Then close them up. They'll move the honey back down through the hole in the inner cover

That's my vote.  Put them above the inner cover.  Don't start a riot.
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Offline Michael Bush

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Will Bees do this?
« Reply #11 on: August 01, 2005, 11:40:05 am »
If you cut the frames 5 7/8" you can put a 3/8" bottom bar on.  You can probably even remove the old bottom bar (if it's not the split kind) and nail it onto the bottom.  If you don't they will build the comb solid on down.  Of course the plastic foundation will help keep it breaking in the right place when you pull it apart.  They do this with the PermaComb (build it on down and attach it) and I'm rather used to it.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin