Honey super or syrup?

[mwiehn]

Hello everyone on here. I joined not too longago, and I am learning tons of good stuff from you all just by reading the posts. I started with two hives last year, and love it! One of my hives is pretty weak, the other is doing much better. The hive that is doing better was strong enough to draw out most of the frames in a super last summer. They filled about half of the frames with capped honey. The other hive during the same time managed to draw out all the frames in two deeps and store honey and pollen for the winter. Which was fine by me. Now, since I didn't have an extractor last fall, and just to be on the safe side I left the super on my strong hive, but took the queen excluder out. Last March when we had nice and warm weather and both hivs were active I was getting nervous about them running out of food earlier this year, so I put a top feeder on both hives. The weak hive took some syrup, but not much, the strong hive has cleaned out the feeder twice. I am wondering though if they just take it and store it in the super? Should I take the super off? Last time I checked (two weeks ago) there were still some capped frames in the super on my strong hive. So, the question is, do I take the super off now and continue to feed? Do I leave the super on, but stop feeding? Or should I leave the super on, but continue to feed syrup (and for how long)? Thanks in advance for your answers.
Marc

[Finsky]

First question, where you live what kind of flowers are blooming? How long is grass?

 One of my hives is pretty weak, the other is doing much better.

Take extra frames awy and restrict the bee room as big as they have bees. Here I have medium wall and terrarium heater as aid.

http://bees.freesuperhost.com/yabbfiles/Attachments/mediumwall.jpg

When bigger hive gets new bees give one full frame of emerging bees to tiny.  It helps much. It should be  8 frames bees and so it runs itself.

Last March when we had nice and warm weather and both hivs were active I was getting nervous about them running out of food earlier this year, so I put a top feeder on both hives.

When you open the hive and you see capped food in hive, it is OK. Don't feed.

And when weather is good, it is time to look how much they have brood, how much food and vain room.

When you have whole box bees, it is good if they have 2 full frames of food = it is about 10 lbs. (langstroth).  You calculate all frames together and valuate food situation.

Extra food store limis spring build up.

I am wondering though if they just take it and store it in the super?

Open hive and look wat is inside.  I suppose that they have brood in super. They start egg laying in warmest part of hive. And dont put exluder now.

some capped frames in the super on my strong hive.

In this situation they need not more food and it helps nothing.

but continue to feed syrup (and for how long)?

Calculate now both hives food reserve. You can even fod frames between hives, but dont feed too much. It just limits spring build up.
.

 Thanks in advance for your answers.
Marc[/quote]

[Michael Bush]

Finsky covered it well.  That would be my advice as ell.

[mwiehn]

Finsky, thanks a lot for your detailed help. I followed your advice, mostly... :-)
Here is the situation. I live in a suburb of Indianapolis, right next to some strips of forrest, a creek and a large strip of grass and wildflowers that are being kept clear from trees because a gas line runs under it. Great place to have hives. Most people here keep flowers and lawn watered all summer.
My two hives are currently pretty dissimilar. Hive one is strong and bustling with activities. I opened it yesterday and counted about six frames covered with bees in both deep hive boxes. They did so well, I added a green drone frame to the top hive body, just to see how they varroa mite trap works. I also left the super on that still has a few frames with capped honey. I figured that given their current strength they might be getting in the swarm mood if I don't give them work do to in that super.
Hive two is totally different. For a while I thought it was dead, but when I opened it it it had three to four frames of bees in the bottom hive. I took off the second hive body, put a top feeder on, added a pollen patty (actually my partner insisted on that, he's such a softy) and regard it as a starter nuc at this point. Now, I am wondering if I want to add a frame of capped brrod from the strong hive to the weak one... would I move the fram including bees that are on it, or just the capped brood frame? Btw, I saw the queen in the weak hive for the first time. She's a beauty, graceful, golden color. Made my day! :-)
Anyways, thanks for your input and ideas. I love keeping bees and getting more confident with them.
Marc

[Finsky]

If you have 6 frames full of bees, it is not yet strong. Before you give frame of emerging bees to smaller, wait that bigger hive has full box of bees. It may be that bigger hive needs all its nursers bees and so queen is able to lay eggs with its capasity.

Check the smaller hive, how much it has brood, is brood area even or sporous.

You seems to have cool weathers there and it and big room for bees restrict build up. Continue pollen patty feeding.