BBKA Forum

I have at times placed a super under the brood chamber for winter, when a super has stores in it not suitable for extracting.

I haven't done it as a 'matter of course' but I know beekeepers that do.
Some put supers (even if dry with no stores) under the brood box to provide some protection against strong winds in exposed apiaries.

Thats interesting and I wonder why only stores not suitable for extraction?
Would that be ambrosia or some other pre-mixed bee feed or just 2-1 syrup with thymol?
I've got about 7 frames from winter which has I think invertabee or ambrosia in them still!

Yes, I call it undersupering - which is not very helpful as that’s often used to describe putting a new empty super at the bottom of an existing stack rather than just adding to the top.

The reason to use it “for stores not suitable fir extraction” (ie syrup or granulated) is simply that if you had a super of stores suitable for extraction you could leave it on top and then anything left is still okay in the spring if you reuse the super for honey storage. If you have supers with stuff you want cleared completely so you can reuse for honey storage, they theoretically clear out the undersupered boxes up into the brood chamber and consume it.

Thanks Patrick
That sounds like what I need to do for winter as I want them to consume the frames I have left over from winter starting afresh in the spring by putting the super on top!
I suppose this is only done when the super is full enough to get them through winter anyway and then placed underneath. I will mark them so I know which ones are which! I've previously placed them on top but the bees have always left quite a bit but, I've probably overfed as I've put fondant on top too and a pollen pattie for luck!

AdamD wrote: ↑

13 Jul 2021, 13:33

Many of my colonies go through summer on double brood; some will attempt to swarm and some won't.

Yes it can be difficult to predict which will swarm and which won't. Which means my swarm control is retroactive, i.e is done after I see queen cells.
However, if i was still using my local mongrels it would be proactive as in Demaree//Snelgrove method 1 as they are habitual annual swarmer's regardless of the amount of room you give them.
Which tells me there is no universal solution to swarming and that it's down to understanding the types of bees you are keeping and their habits.

Good point!
How are the new Danish queens doing??!!

All three rocketing away, upgraded 2 to hives yesterday and the other one will be ready next week.

Sounds like money well spent and a great outcome:)

I under super all my colonies now. 40lbs of stores for winter + spring is a very out dated benchmark now imho, soring is evil.
I also think the way we are taught to make increase and swarm management are out of date too. Too many folk making splits with swarm cells in May from swarmy bees.

Yes Mick I am one of them!!
That's what I did from a queen I bought last year and I expect every year they will try to swarm.
It would be nice to know that a queen would go on for say 3 years without all this disruptive and time consuming swarm control to have to deal with??!!
Also, I don't want increase my hives each year so then back to re-joining malarky!!
Perhaps the way forward is buying the Danish queens if they prove to be well behaved??!!