After 18 months of learning the hard way how not to raise bees (I’m sure I’ll continue to find new ways to screw up, though) I finally have my first harvest. Went super smooth. After checking the frames, I let them settle for a couple hours before starting the flow. It took the bees some time to even react. It wasn’t until I was in the middle of harvesting the second pair of frames that they even seemed to notice me. I think that is only because I dribbled a little as I was swapping the tubes to a new collection tub. Even then they never got aggressive. Played board games with the kids while waiting. Wonderful weather. Great day in general. Got two more frames to go in the morning (outer two). These will be set aside for feeding the bees in the winter (they were only ~50% capped on the outside.
Got two more frames to go in the morning (outer two). These will be set aside for feeding the bees in the winter
Would you consider putting a traditional super between the brood and the Flow super for the bees to fill with Honey which you could leave on for winter. You would know they had enough food and all you would have to do for winter prep would be to take the QX out.
I had planned on putting a medium below the brood when I removed the HoneyFlow. I thought this was the recommendation for late fall (least stress for the bees since they like to work top-down and likely won’t fill it). No?
Tastes great. I kinda wish I had been logging what was blooming when. I don’t have a clue what’s what. We have lots of citrus, Mesquite and Palo Verde as well as a wide variety of flowering shrubs preferred by the local landscapers in the area. The latter being what I can thank for the late nectar flow.
As long as they have time to draw the frames, move down and fill with brood while filling the top half of their original brood box with stores. If the medium is drawn already put it on top. Bees like to store Honey above the brood and have the brood between their stores and their entrance.
I would do that, unless you have good evidence that you still have a nectar flow. This map shows a hive scale in Phoenix, which is a little way from you, but it looks like they still have a nectar flow: https://beeinformed.org/programs/sentinel-hive-scale-program/
In that situation, I might try putting the medium above the brood box. I would then watch the hive scale weight, and when it levels off and starts dropping, consider taking it off or putting underneath the brood box instead, depending on how many bees are in the colony, and what they have done with the medium.
Thanks for tips as well as the link! Very cool. I’ve been thinking about putting scales on mine but so far that’s as far as that idea has gone so this site will be a useful resource.
