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Author Topic: Frame placement question.  (Read 2070 times)

Offline Psparr

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Frame placement question.
« on: July 01, 2013, 10:47:06 pm »
Ok here's what I have.

My bottom brood box which has a good bit of drone comb. Is almost full of pollen, I mean every frame, with a little brood mixed in.  I'm not worried about this now, but what do I do in the fall to get ready to overwinter?

Will they use up all that pollen in a dearth or the fall and winter?
If its still full of pollen in the late fall, where should those frames be placed?

How much pollen do they need over winter?

Can I put a couple of the foundationless frames of pollen in the honey super? Will they pull that pollen down?

Thanks in advance.

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Frame placement question.
« Reply #1 on: July 02, 2013, 09:33:52 am »
>My bottom brood box which has a good bit of drone comb. Is almost full of pollen, I mean every frame, with a little brood mixed in.  I'm not worried about this now, but what do I do in the fall to get ready to overwinter?

Put the pollen in the bottom box.

>Will they use up all that pollen in a dearth or the fall and winter?

Yes.  When there is no fresh pollen available.

>If its still full of pollen in the late fall, where should those frames be placed?

The bottom box.

>How much pollen do they need over winter?

Not much until late winter.  Then they will burn a frame of pollen for every frame of brood they raise.

>Can I put a couple of the foundationless frames of pollen in the honey super?

Can you?  Sure.  Will it help anything?  No.

> Will they pull that pollen down?

No.  I've never seen the move pollen.  They will use it when they need it and then they might fill it with something else, but I have never seen them move pollen.

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Offline The Bix

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Re: Frame placement question.
« Reply #2 on: July 02, 2013, 09:38:06 am »
I would say leave it right where it is...in the brood box.  I have not seen what you have described...at least to the extent of what you describe, but I think you have the pollen right where you want it, in the brood box.  The only concern I have is how much drone comb you have v. worker comb.

Offline Psparr

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Re: Frame placement question.
« Reply #3 on: July 02, 2013, 05:08:05 pm »
Now that they have plenty of comb drawn in the second box to lay in, there are a lot less drones. Probably because they are backfilling the drone comb with pollen.

My other question. I have a screened bottom board. Would they keep the brood nest up in the second box for the warmth, and abandon the bottom box. Just throwing it out there. 

I also have one frame of black plasticell in the bottom box that is only about half drawn out. It's in the middle of the box.

Offline Finski

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Re: Frame placement question.
« Reply #4 on: July 03, 2013, 02:04:50 am »
.
One possibility is that the queen has problems and does not lay properly. Normally brood consumes the pollen what bees carry in.

Consider changing the queen.

.To me pollen is very valuable and I like to find a colony which store to me pollen for spring build up.

Now I have a  colony which has 6 full frames of pollen in lowest box. Last summer the same colony stored more than one box of pollen and then colony got a good start in early spring.
That colony has now 2 langstroths and 5 mediums.

With patty system I make from those pollen 10 times more patty when I mix it top soya and yeast.
10 kg pollen --> 100 kg patty.

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Offline Finski

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Re: Frame placement question.
« Reply #5 on: July 03, 2013, 02:06:36 am »


My bottom brood box which has a good bit of drone comb.

Cut them off and you get mites with them. When you brake brood, you see how much it has mites.

You may let them grow a new mite trap into the hole or you put a piece of foundation and repair the hole.
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Offline Psparr

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Re: Frame placement question.
« Reply #6 on: July 03, 2013, 08:34:40 am »
The queen lays great. Frame after frame in the second box packed with brood. She was in the third box for a little while, but there starting to backfill that with honey.

Thanks for the replies so far.

 

anything