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!