Ben Pollard asks about whether he should continue feeding bees in a hive he
just placed the second brood box on.
 
You might consult with other beekeepers in your area about when the main
honey flow will start.  I usually recommend that beginners starting with
foundation make syrup available to the bees until they draw the foundation
in both of the bottom two deep boxes, or until the bees quit using the
feeders.  Usually when the honey flow starts the bees will quit using the
feeders.
 
Blooming flowers doesn't mean a honey flow is on.  If temperature,
humidity, and soil moisture is not what it should be, the bloom won't
produce much if any nectar.  If there hasn't been rain for a month you
might be in for a lot of feeding.
 
As someone said on an earlier post, look at the brood to determine if eggs
are present.  If so, a chicken didn't do it.  Next look on the frames with
eggs for the queen.  Look at a picture of a queen, and then look for the
same visual in your hives.  I encourage beginners, and all beekeepers, to
purchase marked queens.  If the paint was applied properly you just have to
look for the colored dot on the queen's thorax.  If not, you have to look
for the solid color and tapered abdomen, the shiny black thorax, the large
body, and the queen retinue of bees (if it occurs) to find the queen.
 
David Williams asks about using one or two supers on a hive.  First, we
need to be accurate about the bee management terms we use.  I presume you
are intending to refer to the deep broodnest boxes.  Second, a beginner
should always use two deeps, or their equivelent in westerns(3), for a
brood nest.  Third, always start with ten combs if you are using
foundation, and I recommend that you always use ten combs in the brood
nest.  Too many times the bees build bridge comb to reduce the bee space
and to tie the combs together if you don't.  The second deep should be put
on when eight combs are fully drawn in the bottom box (eight to ten combs
of bees).  Move two combs of brood up to the center of the second box, put
one frame of foundation next to the walls on each side of the bottom box.
 
James C. Bach
Yakima WA
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