So I don’t want them to keep filling up the flow frames. So after my harvest a few weeks ago, I moved them on top of the inner cover. They still filled the frames, so I took that honey off to feed back to them, and made the inner cover hole smaller so they would think that it was outside the hive and just clean the frames and then I could remove them. Today when I looked they didn’t seem to be cleaning off the frames or if they were it was going slowly. As I think back on it it was probably a wash. I think there was some new nectar there, as well as some that had disappeared. So today I shook them out of the flow frame box and set the box in front of the Hive. I had not wanted to do this as I’m told it increases Robbing.
And go. Right? Wrong? Good? Bad? I know there are million opinions I would like some more than my own.
They were three boxes in total including flowbox. Have I just jammed three boxes of bees into two and now force them to swarm? My local beek my local beak tells me that I want to boxes to overwinter. tells me that I want to boxes to overwinter.
You had a Flow super above that, and you tried to discourage the bees from using it, but they ignored you. Is that right?
You put the Flow super in front of the parent hive, but the bees didn’t do what you wanted?
If it was me, and your situation may be very different, I would now put the Flow super underneath your bottom brood box. That will signal to the bees that this is extra optional space, and they should only use it if they are cramped for space. They should then take the honey/nectar from the frames and move them up into the brood space. However, be aware, bees do not read instruction manuals very well, and not all bees behave the same way. Just telling you what normally works.
I just put it in front of the hive today. So I don’t really know yet but my last check on them I’m gonna guess that they will be leaving it now.
Next time perhaps that’s what I’ll do. (Nadiring the super that is). I’m curious what other beeks do after the last flow harvest when they don’t want to leave the flow frames on through the winter?
Most in the UK (and other places) put the “stickies” (half or more than half empty supers) above a crown board/inner cover. If you have a smart colony of bees, they will clean it all up, and you can take the clean super away. If you have a set of complete bee bimbos (beemboes?), they will do what the heck they want and start building crazy comb all over your lawn, even when it is directly against their best interests! Such is the joy of beekeeping.
Don’t worry too much. They will rob the flow frames out BUT I would move them away from the hives so robbing does not become an issue. Just put them on their side about 10-20 metres away and you should be fine.
How crowded are your boxes? Is there any room in them for more stores? I would not worry too much about swarming as its autumn where you are and the queen should be reducing the brood nest. If they are crowded for storage space I would put a box of standard frames below your brood nest. This will give them space but not require heating by the bees. I would not leave flow frames on over winter or your queen could be left behind under the queen excluder.
Dawn’s right about putting them underneath.
I have tried putting wet supers over a crown board. It works sometimes, sometimes not. It ALWAYS works putting them under.
I wonder, would flow frames freeze for next year?
I always freeze my pollen frames.
Hi Marcos, what I do if I want the bees to clean up frames inside the hive is put an empty super between the top box & the box of frames I want cleaned up. If you let the bees clean up the frames outside of the hive, you could be feeding bees from elsewhere. Last winter I moved all the nucs away from my house. Before that, I thought I was feeding my own bees when I left stuff out for the bees to clean up. After I moved my bees away, I had just as many bees cleaning up my stuff as I had before.
I agree with making the inner cover hole smaller. cheers
I would strongly suggest not putting it out in the open… especially near the hive. This will promote robbing as other bees will locate the honey that is sitting there unprotected and when complete will likely move to your hive next (not to mention issues with spreading disease).
Such is the joy of beekeeping.