There exists sufficient misinformation in this topic discussed here to prompt a post from this corner
of the room , a step long now loathed as contrary views posted only seen to attract derison along
with implied threat of banishment - both toothless beasts.
The following is submitted for thought only by the OP(Brian), I will not be entering into discussion
further.
The whole question of feeding _should be_ answerable in simply noting any presence of wild(feral)
colonies in the local pollination map. Where no ferals are present bees have decided that area is not
suitable in sustaining their reproduction, the very factor bees exist for... from the bees point of view.
However Man through a combination (more often) of avarice and failed insight into bee biology insists
on placing multiple boxes of bees within targeted flora bursts of short duration ("six weeks") with no
intention to move those colonies on, and so supplement feeding applies largely for the remaining
46 weeks in most years. All designed to return a "honey 'crop'" from within a nonviable location.
Notwithstanding the quoted words of Issac Hopkins of a time past - when there was yet much to learn
around Apis husbandry in this Country - the use of queen excluders above a broodnest has develope
into an art form. One embraced by both polllinators and honey producers in this Country today, yet still
remains a mystery to many a method b'kpr - as is well iluminated within comments here(thread).
Further, the art of those manipulations - as Issac touches on - is lost to those unable or unwilling to
control the broodnest development for either the bees or Man's benefit (or Both) in reaching expected
outcomes of keeping bees in a box.
Without QX use the broodnest runs riot throughout the stack in seasonal variation - as most do know -
whereas with selective QX use the bees are controlled in what goes where: see attached graphic.
Much of the argument around QX use - or nonuse - is based on the erroneous philosophy(?) of the
queen decreeing her laying patterns, whereas recent study has reinforced long known brood patterns
in that all she controls is the distribution of genes, and that too appears to be controlled to some
extent by the community.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6040692/Citing ventilation and/or stores transfer as reasons not to use a QX is not upheld in examining closely
any QX set for some time as bees do propolise QX penetrations in setting airpaths for ventilation, and
in forming beespace as highways for transfer by courier bees - the latter poorly comprehended by
method b'kps and ignored wholly by those promoting dual entrances in a stack (top entrance on super).
Many view QX propolisation as a nuisance, something which again highlights a total absence of
understanding how a stack works, for bees.
Whilst Man's logic leads a belief bees will not "crowd out a queen from the feed" the evidence of bees
backfilling with or without a QX brings out the error of holding to that belief, an error which leads a
FAQ in "how do I get bees to fill the super". The answer to which - when correct - sees bees move
broodnest stores up, inclusive of any stored syrup. The strength of denial in that syrup contaminating
honey extracted is seen in b'kps refusing to add dye to syrup.
The fact syrup in honey is undetectable is relied on, by many, internationally - and is just one reason
why Australian honey is so highly valued, globally.... a status currently the fight of one bloke in
upholding.
https://www.gofundme.com/48jlk4wAs my response to Brian's question I state without compunction the b'kpr never interferes with an
expanding broodnest. Frames can be manipulated at the extents to max out the broodchamber, but
interference within the nest itself - particularly reversing frame orientation - is just going to bring
flow in expansion undone, as Brian discovered.
Foraging in and if itself has zero impact on the outcome Brian created.
When 100% of frames hold a minimum of 60% coverage by bees _and_ the bees are washboarding
the walls a super can be added above a QX, the outer stores frames (#9+#1) moved up and new
frames added to #2+#8 in the broodchamber.
Your time in reading is apppreciated but bees will thank you for any diligence adopted from it.
Cheers.
Bill
--