Hello all,

I am a newcomer to the list and a new beekeeper to boot.  I purchased 2
lovely hives this Spring from a veteran beekeeper in the area.
Unfortunately he had no extra honey supers to sell so I purchased new
supers, frames and foundation (duraguilt from Dadant).  I am happy to
say we survived the swarming season and the bees are pulling in pollen
and nectar like crazy.  Both have new queens that are laying well.
Problem is, the bees almost refuse to draw out new comb on the new
equipment.  These hives are composed of 3 Illinois supers so I have
exchanged outer, nectar filled frames from the brood nest (no brood,
just nectar and some capped honey) with new frames.  Voila, bees finally
began to draw comb and fill it.  I then put the frames back into the
honey super and despite the fact there is now action in the honey
supers, work seems to have ceased as far as finishing the job.  The bees
have immediate access to 80+ acres of clover, trefoil, catnip and such.
They are bringing in nectar but it appears they are storing and capping
it on the edges of the brood frames, anywhere but in the honey supers.

These hives are healthy and packed with bees.  Any suggestions or should
I just bide my time?  Healthy bees are better than no bees but it might
be nice to get a little honey out of the bargain!

Thanks for your help,

Jacklyn Smith
Brighton, IA