Mime-Version: |
1.0 |
Sender: |
|
Subject: |
|
From: |
|
Date: |
Mon, 6 Jan 1997 14:00:40 -0500 |
Content-Type: |
text/plain; charset=us-ascii |
Reply-To: |
|
Parts/Attachments: |
|
|
I keep 150 hives in northern North Carolina in 1 deep and a six and five eights
super. Our honey flow is early and intense and over by June 1 with very little
nectar until fall. I use queen excluders as an insurance policy over the
summer to keep the queen out of the honey super so there will be honey for
overwintering come fall. However, I don't like to put the excluder on until
after the honey flow ( I usually slip them between the super and brood chamber
when I am pulling honey and have fume boards on, I just let the fume board
drive the bees out of the super too). However, if the super is a good bit
filled with brood, there is not much honey stored over the excluder. I have
been toying with the idea of putting the excluders on in early spring and
relieving congestion by swapping out 2-4 brood frames with foundation, and
putting the brood frames in a deep box over top of the honey super. I realize
there are drawbacks, sudden cold snaps, splitting the brood nest, the fine line
between providing an outlet for energy vs. sapping hive energy. However, I
will be rotating old brood frames out, and the honey super will be filled with
honey only. I am just curious if anyone else has any thoughts on this
technique?
Bill Lord
--
william g lord
E-Mail : wglord@franklin
Internet: [log in to unmask]
Phone : 9194963344
|
|
|