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Author Topic: Need Advise  (Read 1007 times)

Offline mat299

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Need Advise
« on: March 17, 2014, 01:37:02 pm »
OK, here is the scenario.  I have six hives all with one deep and a medium right now.  All have come through the winter with a little feeding over the last couple of weeks.  Here is what i need advise on.  I checked all of the hives this past weekend and all had a significant amount of brood in them so i know that they will start to explode shortly.  I didn't see any queen cells as of yet so hopefully none will swarm right away.  Here is my question.  Should I go ahead and add another super now or wait?  I have supers, but all of them will have new foundation.  The flow is not on yet although the bees are gathering in some pollen already i noticed.  Should i add the next supers and feed so the bees can build the new foundations out and then add honey supers later or should i just wait and add the honey supers later when the flow is about to start?  Keep in mind that regardless of what i do, any supers that get added from this point will be on new foundation.  Thanks in advance for any advise anyone can give me.

Offline iddee

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Re: Need Advise
« Reply #1 on: March 17, 2014, 02:16:53 pm »
I am in NC and added a second hive body of foundation Saturday. The flow has began here, so I would think your flow is on, too. Not the heavy spring flow, but still enough to get them active. I would be adding another box.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

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Offline Vance G

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Re: Need Advise
« Reply #2 on: March 17, 2014, 03:47:51 pm »
It might be a good time to start putting a frame of foundation on the edge of the broodnest or between two frames of capped brood.  Store the outside frame of honey or move it up to the center of the new box placed on top.  Keep foundation in added box tight together to get it drawn best IMO.  Great job of wintering.  Wish I had wintered 100%.  Shows you are doing things right.