Author Topic: Bees not using honey supers. Why? (Read 3588 times)

Jami · « **on:** August 09, 2005, 04:03:18 pm »

I am having problems with my bees and honey supers.

About a month ago, I placed 2 shallow honey supers on top of my deep supers. I also placed a queen excluder in between. The problem is, the bees are not using it. It is completely empty. There were only a few bees hanging out near the top. I have drilled holes into the honey supers for ventilation. I am thinking perhaps the bees can't get though the queen excluder and the bees in the top honey supers are getting through the ventilation holes. Has anyone else had this problem? What should I do?

My other hive started out very weak, and I just added honey supers on.

If I take the queen excluder off and the bees start using it, is it to late to get any surplus honey from my bees? I was really looking forward to giving honey to my friends I live in Michigan and this is my first year with beekeeping.

Any information would be helpful. Thanks!!!

amymcg · « **Reply #1 on:** August 09, 2005, 04:45:02 pm »

Might be too late for honey depending on the flow, but, you can try this. Take the queen excluder off until they draw out about 3 or 4 frames, not fill them, just start drawing them. Then put the excluder back in.

As far as why they aren't using it, could be a number of reasons, they are storing it below, the hive numbers might not be large enough for them to want to go up there to store it. Is there a dearth?

leominsterbeeman · « **Reply #2 on:** August 09, 2005, 05:02:57 pm »

Quote

I also placed a queen excluder in between

Found your problem. Queen Excluder = Honey excluder.

Bees will not draw out foundation that is above a queen excluder. There needs to be drawn wax cells and a great nectar flow to make the bees want to cross the queen excluder.

Most people will tell you to toss the QE. And this has been discussed here many times. And those of us (self included) that have put a QE on and found the same thing as you have now no longer use them.

the olny reason I can see to use them is if you are planning on entering your honey into a contest at at fair or something and you want to keep pollen and little brood scum out of the honey.

To use a QE just to keep a QE out is not such a good idea. The queen will lay eggs in the honey supers - that good - it means more brood...more bees... more honey. By the end of the season, there will be no brood in the honey supers, the queen and bees will work their way down into the hive.

Apis629 · « **Reply #3 on:** August 09, 2005, 05:08:33 pm »

What about placing the excluder 90Âº off?

Michael Bush · « **Reply #4 on:** August 09, 2005, 05:51:47 pm »

Due to the time of year I'd probably blame it on a lack of nectar flow. During the flow I would have blamed it on the excluder.

amymcg · « **Reply #5 on:** August 09, 2005, 06:42:02 pm »

Just for the record, I've had no problems with my bees going above the excluder using the method I described above. Especially when the flow is on.

Joseph Clemens · « **Reply #6 on:** August 09, 2005, 07:07:14 pm »

When our spring honey flow is happening the bees are not interested in anything else, they don't let anything except lack of space stop them from bringing it in. I've tried it with and without queen excluders and never noticed the excluder slow them down at all.

buck · « **Reply #7 on:** August 10, 2005, 10:12:24 am »

There has been a good honey flow in St. Johns so I would suspect your hives are weak. There should be nectar well into September if it keeps raining. If your hives seem weak, you could combine them now when there is still some for a harvest then split in the spring. I would pull the QE too.

limyw · « **Reply #8 on:** August 10, 2005, 12:53:04 pm »

I think your hive is not strong enough. Try move 2-3 brooded combs to super to encourage bees venture to super. If after 2-3 weeks bees withdraw from these vacant combs, this means they would rather stay bottom to keep the bottom warm.