After 21 days, I think my bees are doing ok!

[FlexMedia.tv]

21 days and they look good...I think! Do you think I should add a super? Should I keep feeding?

[BeeMaster2]

Looks like you are ready to add a super to both hives.
If you want to keep your smoker lot for hours on end, light a small amount of material and get it burning real well in the bottom of your smoker. Then add more material and keep pumping the bellows. Keep adding more material until it is packed tight.
Try it, it will last for hours.
I am now using only cut up blue jeans. Works real we.l
Jim

[cao]

I agree with sawdstmakr.  They could use another box.  It looks like they have drawn comb on all the frames.  Since you found the queen on the second frame, she is probably laying on the middle six frames at least.  Another sign that they need more room is the burr comb on the bottom of they frame that you saw.  They are running out of room so they are drawing comb in every available space.  Usually I scrape off any extra burr comb like that. 

Should you keep feeding?  The short answer is I don't know(probably).  I think that it wouldn't hurt as long as they don't backfill the broodnest(the queen needs a place to lay).  It will also help get them to draw out the second box when you put it on.  If you have a flow on then it isn't absolutely necessary.

[FlexMedia.tv]

Sawdstmakr,
I'll have to try the jeans you have mentioned before. I used a piece of hand towel to go along with some hay and sticks. It seems to smoke better after I'm all done looking at the hives. Maybe I will pack it better next time. I will add the supers in 3 days. Do I smoke them again or will they let me just set the super on without fussing?

Cao,
Burr come is what that is, huh? I guess I'll keep feeding. They keep eating!

Art

[BeeMaster2]

Art,
If you use jeans, do not pack them real tight like you would pine straw. I have found that if I pack the jeans like I do pine straw, the smoke cannot draw up through it enough to stay lit. Also even with the jeans not packed real tight, they still burns a long time. 
I would not use sticks. You do not want any flames coming out of the smoker. I have never tried hay, even though I always have it available.
Jim

[CrazyTalk]

I'm new, so I don't have a ton of things to compare it to, but I started using old jeans my last couple of inspections, and it's worked really well for me - decent amount of smoke, burns slowly, and generally at the end of my inspections there's still a ton of denim in the smoker. It has worked much better for me than my previous setups (mostly wood chips, stove pellets,  and straw)

[FlexMedia.tv]

Sawdstmakr,
I'll have to try the jeans you have mentioned before. I used a piece of hand towel to go along with some hay and sticks. It seems to smoke better after I'm all done looking at the hives. Maybe I will pack it better next time. I will add the supers in 3 days. Do I smoke them again or will they let me just set the super on without fussing?

Cao,
Burr come is what that is, huh? I guess I'll keep feeding. They keep eating!

Art

[BeeMaster2]

Smoking your bees is like knocking on the door. A little smoke is like a light knock and pouring it in is like someone pounding on your door demanding to come in.
Use a little every time you enter a hive.
Do not work in your hives without a smoker lit. If I get stung, I cove their sting pheromones with smoke.
Jim

[BeeMaster2]

By the way, I do super without smoke at times. The last time I did it I last week i was able to add supers to 11 hives, when I opened the top of the 12th and last hive they got me good in the face and both arms.
I recommend you use a little smoke and protection.
Jim

[Psparr]

It depends on your bees. I just went through a hive frame by frame in an outyard, without smoke, for the landowner who wants to learn about bees.  Gentle as can bee.

[FlexMedia.tv]

Sounds good to me!

[GSF]

Hey flex, looks good! add a super.

Tidbits; The white dot is a color code. White is this year's color. I see you're working the hive with your gloves off - that is a very good thing. I learned that down at Bud's place from the master himself - Bud. However, If I open the top and within 3 seconds I get stung a half dozen times - gloves on.

[FlexMedia.tv]

GFS,
Really? What other tid bits ya got???
Yep, got both supers on without a hitch. I smoked them a little, gloves off, we are still in the dating mode so no stings, yet...I have medium supers for an additional brood area. I'm going to keep feeding for a while I guess. When do you all think I should do the next inspection and what am I looking for? This is going better than I thought this would go.
Art

[cao]

When do you all think I should do the next inspection and what am I looking for?

What you should be looking for is that they are moving up in the second box. Some bees do this transition easy and others need a little persuasion.

When is up to you.  In general this is what I go by:  If you are just lifting the lid and not removing frames you can check on them anytime.  If you are just removing multiple frames, give them at least a week between inspections.  If you are going through the entire hive, leave them alone for at least a 2-3 weeks or longer.  I would think that you wouldn't have to check on them for a couple weeks since you just added the second box.

[FlexMedia.tv]

I'll keep feeding them and give them a couple of weeks then give them a look see.
Thanks!
Art