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Dummy Down For Winter?

PostPosted:09 Sep 2019, 22:45
by Japey Edge
Hi everyone!

I reckon this will be quick and easy. I think I know the answer but experience always helps.

I have a colony that isn't quite using all of its frames. There are only a handful of bees at the end. Should I take a few out if they're empty and replace with my shiny new summy boards made from polystyrene board and aluminium foil tape? Or should I keep feeding the bees until they jam these end frames with stores and hope they build to fill it?
I'm just thinking with this time of year it seems contrary to everything I've learned for bees to build up..

Let me know what you would do guys 8-)

Re: Dummy Down For Winter?

PostPosted:09 Sep 2019, 22:50
by Chrisbarlow
keep feeding till they stop taking. they still might fill those spare frames and in spring the extra stores will come in handy

then once feeding has stopped and if there is still some space, then yes.

Re: Dummy Down For Winter?

PostPosted:10 Sep 2019, 09:32
by AdamD
During August and September, I gently feed, small colonies in particular, which encourages brood-rearing with a young queen, and also allows them to lay down stores at a steady rate. You are right that brood numbers won't increase much at all at this time of year. It's easier to feed the bees now when they can deal with it and place it where they want rather than use fondant over winter/early spring, so if they are taking it and processing it, I would be inclined to continue for now.

Re: Dummy Down For Winter?

PostPosted:10 Sep 2019, 14:18
by Patrick
Depends if the unused end frames were combs or still foundation.

If unfilled but drawn combs would leave them to it and feed, if just foundation would swap out for spare brood frames (presupposing I had them) for them to fill with stores. If I had no spare drawn comb and many frames of foundation, might consider dummying down or even relocating whole colony to a smaller box. I wouldn't expect bees to draw foundation at the margins this time of year.

Have had success in the past giving a whole box of foundation to a colony above the brood chamber and trickle feeding syrup just after removing summer supers. Lots of underemployed bees, needing space and enough feed to stimulate them to draw comb (presumably in anticipation) but not too much too fast to just dump it all in the brood chamber and clog it up. Stimulates queen to keep laying too. Better done in warm August then a cooling September maybe. They don't always play ball but if they do you get a lovely box of fresh drawn comb to use either in the Autumn or next spring. Waxmoth will ignore it as not bred in and can jump start nuc's etc in the spring.