I am located in central Alberta next to Island Lake summer village. Lots of flowers around lake cottages. Large field of canola 300 yard from hives. Forest close by with new flowers every week. I have two hives 2 high one brood box and one flow box. Bees are starting to fill flow frames. I realize now that I will need the brood box and a honey supper to overwinter the bees. The flow frames box will be empty so they will come off. Only 10 frame boxs are available locally so I bought a complete hive with 3 supers. I want to add one to each flow hive and wondering where and when I should add it. I can make a false bottom for them or add a strip to each side to close them in to put them on top of the 8 frame brood boxes.
Joe,
Being up that far north you’ll diffenantly need the second deep for winter honey supply. If your bottom flow (8 frame) is near 80% get your second super on quickly. You’ll possible need to feed 2:1 ratio sugar water if your are lite. Usually we need about 80 lbs of honey to winter our hives over … Next spring it’s good to make sure the colony isn’t short on food supplies. Hope this help. I’m sure others will give you their 2 cents too.
See ya later,
Gerald
I would add all the boxes you intend to overwinter in, as they need them, and wait until those are full to add the flow frames. A first year colony may not put that much away. You may not get any honey until the second year.
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Gerald andMichael:
Thanks for the quick reply. I will do that. Just checked both hive and both are putting honey into the flow frames. They are also still building the brood frames and the population numbers have increased. The one brood box was building some off shape and double cone on the foundation. My fault I spaced the frame a little apart as I had a little extra room I thought the Beas would like a little extra room. Thanks for all the info on these posts. They say you learn something new every day but this is much more than that. Thanks for everyone’s input.
Joe St Denis
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