Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: tjc1 on September 16, 2013, 07:07:49 pm
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I removed the lower deep yesterday, and shook the bees into the upper deep and a super (almost full of honey). The lower deep had maybe 4-5 frames semi-covered with bees. They had been in the two deeps since last summer, but this year they have done nothing in the lower deep other than hang out there - drawn no comb, laid no brood, stored nothing more than one frame with maybe 10% pollen. Today, though, they are looking pretty crowded - they are kind of bulging out the entrance (which is wide open) in a mass, as if they had no room. When I looked under the bottom screen, they were pretty thick, tho there was space at the far end where I could see the bottoms of the frames. Should I put the lower deep back on for a while until numbers drop later in the fall?
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it's about time to get out of the hives for winter and let them seal them up. i don't think you are to soon for that. i am about out of mine except for a little feeding. already crammed down and i'll top them off and be done.
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I wouldn’t put the deep back on. The last thing bees need in the winter is a larger volume hive than necessary. When mine are really looking too crammed after removing the supers, I will put a 2” or 3” spacer on top the brood box for a month or so. The nice thing about a frameless spacer box is a volume of 2” x 19” x 15” (or whatever you’re running) will hold a LOT of bees since they can hang from the roof in big balls of bees.
This time of year, bees that get stuck hanging outside the hive will end up going off to bee heaven prematurely as the weather gets cold and rainy. Yes, a 2” empty spacer violates bee space, but the bees aren’t building comb this time of year in Michigan and probably not in Mass either. The spacer box also seems to allow the bees room to hang out and re-organize a bit before winter hits. Just an idea.
We had a light frost last night. Winter is on it's way to you. :)
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We also have had 2 light frosts in central New England this week Southeastern Vermont, Southwestern New Hampshire and North Central Massachusetts
(northern Worchester Country)
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
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Bluebee, great idea, thanks!
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I wouldn’t put the deep back on. The last thing bees need in the winter is a larger volume hive than necessary. When mine are really looking too crammed after removing the supers, I will put a 2” or 3” spacer on top the brood box for a month or so. The nice thing about a frameless spacer box is a volume of 2” x 19” x 15” (or whatever you’re running) will hold a LOT of bees since they can hang from the roof in big balls of bees.
This time of year, bees that get stuck hanging outside the hive will end up going off to bee heaven prematurely as the weather gets cold and rainy. Yes, a 2” empty spacer violates bee space, but the bees aren’t building comb this time of year in Michigan and probably not in Mass either. The spacer box also seems to allow the bees room to hang out and re-organize a bit before winter hits. Just an idea.
We had a light frost last night. Winter is on it's way to you. :)
Nice Post Blue. The spacer being in there also allows room to feed come early spring if needed.