May 5th we picked up our Nuc and installed the girls in our cedar classic brood box. Here is their progress
Wow, outstanding! I want your queen, that is a fabulous brood pattern! Watch the empty combs, you may be ready for another box very soon.
Thank You Dawn. Funny too I haven’t been able to find her. We we wanted to harvest some honey this year so we didn’t add another box. Do you think we can add another this summer or better to wait.
I wouldn’t strive too hard to find the queen unless you have a good reason to do so (requeening, splitting etc). Trying to find her is a pretty good way of killing her inadvertently, or chilling the brood in your hive.
If you want to keep your hive for more than one year, you will likely need more than one brood box for overwintering. Most beekeepers in your region will have two deep brood boxes below the queen excluder and supers. With your longer, cold winters, and long nectar dearth from late fall to spring, they will need supplies to survive, even in a Flow hive.
I would add the extra brood box before adding any honey harvesting boxes. Let it fill up, then take the extra that the bees don’t need. That is the kind thing to do. Good luck!
Wonderful queen
Listen to Dawn. Add another brood box and be patient with the super.
Rye,
I was just looking over your amazing solid capped brood frame. She’s really laying up a storm !
It sounds like you’ve set your goal of harvesting ! Like Dawn asked … do you plan being a beekeeper more than this season ? If the answer is “Yes” I’d listen to an expert (in otherward) put that harvest idea on the back burner for now.
I’d take advantage of your colonies super duper positive growth pattern n use that for now to build up your second needed 8 frame deep Super not the flow-Super ! Almost without exception us norther Hemisphere beekeeper need at least one more box (super) to winter the girls over thru your winter.
If you just have to taste the sweet golden stuff … poke your finger into a frame of capped honey n enjoy … Then think of your bees n move on !
Believe me Spring n Summer doesn’t last n neither does the great productive foraging so get that other box on there. Any questions… check with your local beekeeper n clubs.
Keep up the great work n enthusiasm ! You still haven’t met the varroa mites or yellow jackets. Never count your harvest before it’s real.
Cheers n good luck,
Gerald.
As soon as your brood box is 80% full of brood and stores add a second box for the brood and to build up stores for winter.
You have a very good laying queen so help her build a strong colony.
Regards