Eric,  thanks for the advice.  I chose to remove the excluders, and the
bees have since moved up nicely into the supers above.  They're building
comb like crazy and the honey is flowing in.
 
I'll watch for brood, and re-install the excluders this coming weekend
if I see any.  Taking into account the 3 week brood cycle, the time to
extract here in R.I. is August 15 but a stretch to the 22nd is ok too.
 
Thanks again!
 
Norm
 
>----------
>From:  Eric Abell[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
>Sent:  Saturday, July 26, 1997 10:35AM
>To:    [log in to unmask]
>Subject:       Re: Newbee Trials and Tribulations
>
>Use your drawn comb - likely filled with honey, and brood to entice them
>through the exluder.  Select the frames you want to use, shake off the bees
>and move them above the excluder.  If you select a frame or 2 of brood to
>move up the bees will not hesitate to move through the excluder.
>Alternately, you might consider running your colonies without an excluder.
>
>I am not aware of the situation in your area but I would be suspicious of
>these 2 hives than have not advanced further by now.  If this was in my area
>I would suspect either the queen or tracheal mites.
>
>Good luck
>
>Eric
>
>
>At 11:54 AM 24/07/97 -0400, you wrote:
>>Perhaps a new beekeeper might benefit from this tale of experience, or
>>one of the many veterans out there would care to comment.
>>
>>I'm a second year beekeeper in northeast USA (Rhode Island).  Two strong
>>hives started in the Spring of 1996 from 5-pound packages (Italians) had
>>yet to produce one drop of surplus honey as of July 11, 1997, i.e.
>>nearly two seasons later.  Seemed odd to say the least.
>>
>>All equipment was new and properly assembled in May 1996, with two deep
>>brood chambers devoted to each colony as a base.   Other than a very few
>>borrowed frames with honey and drawn comb scattered in each colony to
>>*get them going*, all frames were undrawn Pierco one-piece plastic
>>frames.   The bees were fed syrup, and queen excluders topped by medium
>>honey supers (no drawn frames; only undrawn Pierco frames) were placed
>>on top of the brood chambers several weeks after starting.
>>
>>By mid-august 1996, I removed the honey supers.  There was extremely
>>little drawn comb in the honey supers and no surplus honey at all.   The
>>deep supers had plenty of drawn comb and honey; also the colonies
>>appeared healthy.  I was pleased that they were well equipped for the
>>winter.
>>
>>Needless to say, I was very optimistic when both colonies emerged strong
>>in the Spring of 1997.  However, when I saw very little drawn comb and
>>no honey in the honey supers by July 11, I knew something was wrong.
>>Based on tidbits of information I gained from this list over the months,
>>I removed the excluders and began to feed syrup again.   Lo and behold,
>>on July 19 I re-examined the hives and found perhaps six frames in each
>>honey super had fully drawn comb and considerable honey (and/or syrup?).
>> Only problem was that there was also a large amount (approx. 35%) of
>>*bridge comb* perpendicular to the frames and connecting the frames.  I
>>subsequently removed all the comb that was going the wrong way.   I
>>think I'm on the right track, but I'll have to re-install the excluders
>>by August 1 (the latest) if I see any brood in the honey supers.
>>
>>I'm hoping for the best when I re-examine this weekend.   Thanks to all
>>on the list who have helped me indirectly!
>>
>>Cheers.
>>
>>Norm Provost,  Burrillville R.I. (USA)
>>Engineer, Homebrewer, BeeKeeper-wannabee
>>
>>
>Eric Abell
>Gibbons, Alberta Canada T0A 1N0
>Ph/fax (403) 998 3143
>[log in to unmask]
>