Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: Decision time for my new hive. Need opinions please  (Read 1466 times)

Offline Georgia Boy

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 500
  • Gender: Male
Decision time for my new hive. Need opinions please
« on: April 29, 2013, 10:00:57 pm »
It has been just over a week since I hived my new pkg.
I used plastic foundation which had no drawn comb on it.
I have been feeding them since installation.
On inspection Saturday they had drawn out 1/2 to 2/3's of an 8 frame medium super.
We have flow on here in Georgia.
My think my queen is just starting to lay.
There isn't anything capped in the hive. Brood or honey.
I won't go back into the hive until this Saturday for my 2 week inspection. Trying to leave them alone.
I think thats everything.
Based on the above information please help me answer the following.

With the flow on do I continue to feed?
When should I add the next super?

I have read and read and read and read until I am totally confused. I also realize that getting your opinions probably won't make this decision any easier because everyone will be different. Just want to get a general consensus.

I just really don't want to screw my girls up. I know you learn from your mistakes but I really try and not make any.  LOL

I want to hear from anyone who has an opinion especially other Georgia Beeks.

Thanks for you help.

David
"Give it All You've Got"
"Never give up. Never surrender."

Offline AllenF

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 8192
  • Gender: Male
Re: Decision time for my new hive. Need opinions please
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2013, 10:09:01 pm »
Sounds like they are doing fine.  You can feed if they are taking it.   When they stop taking it, stop feeding them.  

Offline Nonprophet

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 50
  • Gender: Male
Re: Decision time for my new hive. Need opinions please
« Reply #2 on: April 29, 2013, 10:30:57 pm »
I'm just now a little over 2 weeks in myself. I inspected on Friday as that was the end of the two week "warranty" on my queen and I wanted to be sure she's laying. I just pulled a few frames at random--and found larvae and a few capped brood. Interestingly enough, I seem to have the opposite problem of everyone else--every time I open the hive and pull a frame or two out, I find my queen! Lol. Today was no different, pulled frame 6 just to check for brood or honey and there she was...... :-D

Anyway, of the 9 frames plus feeder in the single deep I started with, they had drawn comb on all but the outer two frames on each end, and they were starting on those. So, today I added my second deep. I pulled a frame out at random (and of course the queen was on it!!!) and I found larvae, eggs, capped brood, and capped honey. So, I'd say we're doing pretty good. I may have put the second deep on too early, but, given my inexperience and the fact that it's swarming season, I figured there was no harm in putting it on too early as opposed to waiting too long and having them swarm or abscond.

I filled the feeder on Friday when I was in there, and today when I went to move it up to the new deep, it was only a 1/4 full. There's tons of fruit trees in bloom on our property right now, so I think I'd be ok if I stopped feeding, but, they seem to be doing so well in building lots of new comb and I just added the 2nd deep and they're still taking the feed I'm giving them, so, when I check on them again this weekend I'll see if they're still taking the feed or not and then try to decide whether I should keep feeding or not.

Again, bear in mind that I'm 2 weeks into this, so take my opinions for what they are.......

NP
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little."
—Franklin D. Roosevelt

Offline BeeMaster2

  • Administrator
  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 13494
  • Gender: Male
Re: Decision time for my new hive. Need opinions please
« Reply #3 on: April 29, 2013, 10:44:46 pm »
I'm just now a little over 2 weeks in myself. I inspected on Friday as that was the end of the two week "warranty" on my queen and I wanted to be sure she's laying. I just pulled a few frames at random--and found larvae and a few capped brood. Interestingly enough, I seem to have the opposite problem of everyone else--every time I open the hive and pull a frame or two out, I find my queen! Lol. Today was no different, pulled frame 6 just to check for brood or honey and there she was...... :-D

Anyway, of the 9 frames plus feeder in the single deep I started with, they had drawn comb on all but the outer two frames on each end, and they were starting on those. So, today I added my second deep. I pulled a frame out at random (and of course the queen was on it!!!) and I found larvae, eggs, capped brood, and capped honey. So, I'd say we're doing pretty good. I may have put the second deep on too early, but, given my inexperience and the fact that it's swarming season, I figured there was no harm in putting it on too early as opposed to waiting too long and having them swarm or abscond.

I filled the feeder on Friday when I was in there, and today when I went to move it up to the new deep, it was only a 1/4 full. There's tons of fruit trees in bloom on our property right now, so I think I'd be OK if I stopped feeding, but, they seem to be doing so well in building lots of new comb and I just added the 2nd deep and they're still taking the feed I'm giving them, so, when I check on them again this weekend I'll see if they're still taking the feed or not and then try to decide whether I should keep feeding or not.

Again, bear in mind that I'm 2 weeks into this, so take my opinions for what they are.......

NP
Sounds like your bees are doing real well. You say you pick a frame at random and look at it. I hope you are pulling the end frames first and making space for the selected frame and then removing it. If you roll the queen when removing the frame, or installing it, you will damage or even kill her.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Joe D

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 2246
  • Gender: Male
Re: Decision time for my new hive. Need opinions please
« Reply #4 on: April 29, 2013, 10:58:48 pm »
Sounds like that you both are doing ok.  An you both should heed what Allen and Sawdstmakr have said.  If the will take sugar syup then give it to them, and bee very careful when messing with your bees, not to harm you Queen.  Take some of the outside frames out before checking brood.  Slide the frames over were you want mash any, if I were to see the queen then, I wouldn't remove that frame.  Or not for long, my luck she would take off.  Good luck to you both and your bees




Joe

Offline Nonprophet

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 50
  • Gender: Male
Re: Decision time for my new hive. Need opinions please
« Reply #5 on: April 29, 2013, 11:19:51 pm »

Sounds like your bees are doing real well. You say you pick a frame at random and look at it. I hope you are pulling the end frames first and making space for the selected frame and then removing it. If you roll the queen when removing the frame, or installing it, you will damage or even kill her.
Jim

Thanks for pointing that out Jim. Yes, I always pull one of the end frames out first to give me some room before I pull any other frames. I do try to bee careful.....That said, someone else mentioned that they only keep 9 frames in a 10 frame deep to allow enough space to avoid rollingbees--if I do that, will they build burr comb in the extra space created by leaving out a frame?

Thanks,

NP
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little."
—Franklin D. Roosevelt

Offline Michael Bush

  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 19832
  • Gender: Male
    • bushfarms.com
Re: Decision time for my new hive. Need opinions please
« Reply #6 on: April 30, 2013, 09:40:33 am »
If you feed continuously, they will backfill the brood nest and swarm, with hardly any bees in the hive...

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm#when

If there is a flow and they have a little surplus of honey stocked up, I would stop feeding.
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

Offline Georgia Boy

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 500
  • Gender: Male
Re: Decision time for my new hive. Need opinions please
« Reply #7 on: April 30, 2013, 10:32:05 am »
Thanks for the responses is far it has reaffirmed what I was already thinking. Its just sometimes you read too much and you start to doubt yourself. Thanks for the support.

I plan on adding the next super when I do my Saturday inspection.  With the girls doing so well and having almost filled out this super I think it would it be a good time to add it.

If any of you think otherwise please chime in.

Thanks again,

David
"Give it All You've Got"
"Never give up. Never surrender."

 

anything