New beekeeper here so not quite if this is typical or not. Started with one nuc, added a second brood box when first was about 80% full. Took two frames from lower and moved those to the second box surrounded by empty foundation less frames. Within a week or two both boxes going like gang busters and was advised to add a honey super (all foundation-less) & excluder. Week later I checked to see progress, frames untouched, second week same thing. This week I swapped two frames from second brood box and placed them in the honey super. Am i on the right track here with what I did or just too impatient? I am located in North Carolina in the USA
You have a foundationless honey super is that correct?
The flow may be winding down where you are. I’m 500-600 miles north and will get the clover, knotweed, persimmon, sumac, flows followed by sweet pepperbush and my bee bee trees. Then we hit a mid-July dearth (mite treatment time) and await the fall goldenrod and aster flows.
The bees need a decent nectar flow to draw more wax. Making wax costs resources that they aren’t willing to use right now.
Yes going foundation less is correct, so if the flow might be slowing down do I have any alternatives?
Feeding 1:1 sugar syrup will get comb drawn but you have to be really careful they don’t store syrup in your honey super if you intend to harvest it.
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If I were you I would take the super off. Monitor the brood boxes. During a dearth the stores will reduce, when a flow starts the stores will build up quickly. That is the time to throw on a super.
Having an empty box on top makes it harder to properly check the hive and gives pests a non-patrolled haven to build up in.
Cheers
Rob.