Hello, All.
Got my package of bees on March 28, and checked on them today. I currently have five (all medium) hive bodies on the hive, and on today's inspection noticed this, going from top to bottom:
1 - Mostly full of honey, half capped.
2 - Completely full of honey, mostly capped
3 - Mostly but brood, tons of it, and about 1/3rd capped honey at the tops of the frames
4 - Tons of brood. Nearly completely full.
5 - Almost empty, except a lot of pollen, a little brood
So a ton of questions:
1.) If they've done this much in three months, and there are TONS of bees, do I have to worry about overcrowding? Will they be likely to swarm if they keep going at this rate?
2.) Should I go ahead and split the hive? Would that be safe to do at this time of year?
3.) Should I add another hive body (I hate to go over 5) and just let them put in more honey?
4.) Is it safe this late in the season (is it late in the season?) to harvest the hive body that's full of honey?
5.) Is this "normal" growth for a hive, or do I have an unusually good queen?
Thanks for any help you can offer!
-Aaron