Building Brood Comb for Next Year???

[charlescfry]

  Next year I plan on starting more hives - I have three now and they are doing well. I may expand by another 5 to 10 hives next spring. A thought occured to me today, and I am hoping for some experienced opinions on my thinking...

  I am going to pull honey in September but the bees will still have some time to work before shutting down for the year. If I add a deep to the top of one or more of the hives this fall (after removing the honey supers), the bees will draw out some comb in wired, deep frames (this is my standard brood super config). When I shut the hives down for the season I thought I would pull off any of the drawn deep frames and store them for the year. Next spring, I will use the drawn comb for starting packages and splits.

  It seems that if I can start hives with even two frames of drawn comb, the hive will get a much faster start in the spring. The more drawn comb, the better.

  Each of my current hives have two full deeps for brood chambers, and the hives are strong. Does it make sense for them to "do a little work" for the new hives? Thanks - if my idea is not clear, let me know and I will try to make my thinking even murkier!   :-D

[rast]

 Nothing wrong with your planning, as long as you leave them enough stores to get through your winter. I always worry about counting my chickens before they hatch. I've had too many eggs rot under sittin hens. Are you sure they are going to get more nectar after Sept.?
 Yes, from what little I've done, it sure goes quicker with drawn frames.

[charlescfry]

 thanks for pointing out the issue of adequate stores. we get through the winter with two full deeps, and i always leave a little more in a honey super just to be sure. if the fall is moderate, there will be activity through late October. After that, it is time for a long winter's nap!

[heaflaw]

My 2 cents worth is that that is a great idea-drawn comb is very valuable.  But don't be surprised if the bees store honey and possibly brood in your third deep.  You may have to pull unused frames from the sides of your bottom two deeps and move the just drawn frames down to get the hives to 2 deeps for overwintering.  Hope that made sense.

I don't have a consistant enough flow after June 15 and to get more comb drawn, so, I have to feed sugar water constantly for a month or so.  If I don't, the bees will chew up the foundation or chew the wax off the plastic frames to use elsewhere.  That's something else for you to consider.

[Michael Bush]

Sometimes there's a strong fall flow.  Sometimes none.  Sometimes something in between.  You could get lucky.

[charlescfry]

thanks for the thoughts... i think i will give it a try. i am swamped with other harvests for a while, so the bees will be on their own. i hope they can manage without me!  LOL

i suppose the worst that can happen is that i end up putting the deep frames in storage for the winter. nothing ventured, nothing gained!