Are my bees about to swarm?

[adamhairfield]

I’m located in Kansas City so it been getting pretty hot around here (95-98 degrees)! Every evening my bees are flying around outside of the hive. Take a look at the video below and give me any input you may have.

[Dawn_SD]

Those look like new bee orientation flights to me. If you have a nectar flow at the moment, you shouldn’t need a feeder. How does your hive look inside?

[adamhairfield]

Good that’s a relief to hear, we thought that was the case. The hive looks to be doing great inside. We will take the feeder off. We thought they were running out of room in the first brood box so we went ahead and put the second one on. Is there any harm in putting a brood box on to early?

[Martydallas]

I’m here in Dallas, same thing happens to mine as well. Almost as if you can’t get near them because there’s so many flying around. I did panic the first couple of times but people like Dawn help calm me down as well:-)

[Dawn_SD]

@adamhairfield

Is there any harm in putting a brood box on to early?

There can be, because the bees now have more space to defend from robbers and pests, and to keep warm. I wrote this post earlier today in response to a different question, but it covers what you just asked in some detail:

When should I add the super

Thank you for mentioning that you are in Israel. From this, we know that you will have nectar dearths (reduced nectar flow) and a winter season (even if it isn’t harsh). With that in mind, I would strongly recommend that you get a second brood box to put under the first before you add the Flow super. Any 8-frame Langstroth deep box would be fine, but if you want a matching box, you can order one from the Flow web site. Your colony is much more likely to survive the winter and periods when necta…

I have actually been adding new brood boxes below the existing box this year, to help the bees with maintaining heat. It seems to working out very nicely, and I would do it again when I have a new hive. Of course with the Flow hive, you wouldn’t put the super under the brood - we are just talking about when you are expanding the brood area.

[Martydallas]

@Dawn_SD

adding new brood boxes below

This makes a lot of sense to me now. Especially with foundation less frames. My physical mentor LOL I had to think about using that word (physical) because I have many online mentors here

Suggested I put my new box on top but checkerboard my new foundation less frames with my existing fully built out brood box. He was concerned about new comb being created crossways through the frames. He explained to me if I checkerboard them the bees would build their new comb following the foundation less frame guide better because they have 2 walls of existing brood comb adjacent to them.

For the most part the bees did exactly as my mentor said they would. Due to a error on my part, not putting the frames tight against each other the bees at one frame had it cattywopus (spelling error) and during an inspection the whole comb got damaged.

The bees recovered built proper new comb where they wanted to in the 1st place, not without me killing a whole bunch of brood because it fell out of the frame.

Nevertheless putting the frame in checkerboard and possibly below the existing brood box I believe would be of tremendous help