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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Dave Green <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sat, 29 Mar 2003 06:47:55 -0500
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From:                   Vital Gaudreau
<[log in to unmask]>


> Someone wants to increase from 1000 to 1200 hives during the
> same
> year (own nucs production); Considering there will be a definite need to
> increase the amount of supers and to have extra ones drawn out and when in
> fact the main flow will begin, will full super(s) of 10 undrawn frames be
> added on top of the brood chamber(s)?

   I always get the brood chamber filled first. With a nuc, feed until all
brood combs are drawn. Then the hive is strong enough to draw
super comb without supplemental feeding. Don't put supers on until
the brood chamber comb is almost all drawn. Timing is critical, of
course, because if you wait too long, you will overcrowd the brood
chamber.

   If I need a lot of super foundation drawn, I use three combs of
comb and seven frames of foundation in each box. Two combs are
placed in the wall positition (always hard to get bees to draw
foundation on the wall), and one is placed in the center to get the
bees started. It's best if that center one is nice fresh comb, newly
drawn the year before. It's even better if it's still wet from the
extractor, and you can put that on at the beginning of a flow. The
bees will jump right on it.

   If you don't have enough drawn comb and have to start with ten
frames of foundation (NEVER nine, at least until the comb is
drawn), then remember that the wall comb will often be undrawn, or
burred up badly. After the center combs are drawn, move them to
the wall position with drawn comb on the outside.

   These rules don't apply with swarms. When I catch a nice swarm,
I may give them a frame or two of brood/honey to get them off
quickly, but they are already primed to draw wax. You can give them
17 or 18 frames of foundation, and they will draw it better than any
established colony ever would.

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