How to trick bees into building supers
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- Опубліковано 3 сер 2022
- Adding your first undrawn super to a hive is exciting, but if the bees don’t draw or work the frames, you have yourself a problem. This is a method that works for us with both wax and plastic coated frames. If you have spare already drawn frames, that can also bring the bees up to work them in most cases.
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That's a great method for helping out a hive that's slow to draw comb. And it's important to note that particular hives will be strong comb builders which can be utilized by the beekeeper. I "paint" an extra layer of wax on plastic foundation which definitely helps the bees get started. The time of year is also very important: a strong nectar flow or supplemental feeding is a crucial element.
There are quite a few ways to encourage the bees to build but I do find this is one of the fastest ways for them to kick in a gear. And yes Absolutely depends on the nectar flow and elements 🐝😊
Once they have started to draw and fill it take off the queen excluder they will have greater access to it and they will draw it out very quickly. Once there is honey up there the queen will not cross it. It works a treat every time.
Hi Chris, I have tried that before on a different hive. I may well try it again, thanks 😊 🐝
I have heard that from a lot of people. That the bees don't like to squeeze through a QE (I imagine it'ls like trying to haul a load of groceries up through a stairway that's barely wide enough for you to fit through without groceries) and that the queen will go back down once she hits a honey/nectar band.
There's also baiting up, but it's more tricky without a QE. Move a few frames of brood up in between undrawn frames, and they'll draw it out regardless of there being a QE. They smell the brood up there and go up to attend to it and while they're there they're like "wait... this is all wrong. This isn't complete and there's no room for more brood, pollen and nectar for these brood" or something to that effect.
Bees don't see foundation as expansion room sometimes, only comb..that's why you see hives swarm with clogged broodnest and a whole box of empty foundation they could've drawn out,but with comb started they have a ladder and fix bee space on next frames, Brood works even better newbies.Great info totally agree great way!!
Hi B.B. Yes exactly! And thank you 😊🐝
I give my foundation an extra coat of bees wax and it helps plus leave the excluder off until they get them drawn then check for the queen move her down and put it on. Brood will hatch out before you pull the honey.
Hi Michael, yes there are a few good ways of doing it, thanks for comment 🐝😊
I always add a frame of partially drawn honey into every new super.
It’s a good idea especially for new colonies 🐝
I don't use plastic but have done this with success in other situations. Good tip👍 now what I need to know is how to get them to draw the comb all the way out, nice and even so that each frame is completely level and filled. Ha.
Thanks Sam, you can just play with the frames by moving them around. Maybe try moving the frames to each end of the super so they draw inward. 🐝
Brood frames are magical. I only have one 6-1/4" super that I use to take my personal use honey, I run it with only 8 frames spaced out, once it's full and capped, I pull the frames and add a riser which makes it into a standard deep.
This is very interesting 🐝
The bees draw the honey cells deeper when you space them out, you'll find you'll get an average of 5 pounds more honey when you space out the frames in 10 frame super to 8 frames because you've eliminated 2 bee spaces they'd normally need to work in, key is first to make they draw out the foundation in 10 frame spacing or you'll get wonky combs, once it done and extracted they'll follow the the comb leftover, most US commercial beekeepers run 9 or 8 frames in their honey supers many make a wooden tool to set the spacing when they add the supers, it makes the capping stick out more also so the automatic decanting machines work better with less need for the scratching tool the guy loading the machine needs only to run a needles roller down the edges and bottoms of the frames, you get about 5 pounds more honey and 1/16 pound more wax per super. You have to remember US beekeepers lease hives in February to the California almonds growers to pollinate their 3 million acres of almonds trees in 3 weeks and California produces 80% of the world's almonds, tractor & 53' trailer loads of bees from all over US states go do commercial almonds, 400+ hives on stackable pallets (4 hives per pallets) in standard langstrough deep brood and deep supers stacked 8 pallets high go do the almonds, some return home to owners, some go up to Oregon to do the pear crop then on to Washington state for apples then to N. Dakota to do the canola. Many of the commercial beekeepers own thousands of colonies, now you know why we have every bee disease know to man in the USA.
I just pull an outside frame of honey and move the brood over one spot and put a deep frame brood in the super for a few days to coax them up into the super to cover the brood, but they draw a little comb on the bottom of the deep, but you can cut it into strips and lay it on top bars of the super to give it their smell and they'll claim it as their own then. That's why I only run deeps in everything and pull capped frames as needed, I run 10 and 5 frame double deep langstroughs for everything, which makes everything simple, in spring buildup I can do splits and make 2 nuks and 2 - 10 frame production colonies, from 1 of my double deeps overwintered colonies by watching closely of the swarm cells, swarm queens are better than anything you can buy.
Hi Carl, that’s a very interesting method, thanks for sharing. I do find that using deep frames for supers are on the heavy side for some, not good for the back, hah 😊🐝
Nice trick I actually put some fresh super frames in the brood chamber after drawing the combs I remove the super frames from the brood chamber and put in the supers and that works.
Hi Yasser, thanks. That’s an interesting way, thanks for comment 🐝😊
I have had a problem doing this and they just draw those frames of honey extra deep into the foundation frames. I keep the drawn frames together in the center and hopefully they work to each side drawing normal comb.
Hi James, yes good idea. I like to move the frames around and turn them so there is not to much bulge comb if that happens. But being supers it’s not to much of a problem. 😊🐝
You can Checker Board Frames to reduce this !
Each Drawn Frame : Guides the in between Frames. Simples. 😎
@@mmb_MeAndMyBees yes I have tried and sometimes it works but most of the time I see the bees just draw the comb extra deep into the checker board frames.
Do you have a "follow-up" video showing the progress of comb being built on the slower super?
Many thx,
DS from Ohio
Hi David, I may make one on the progress. Letting the bees build. 😊🐝
Do do do do.. I'm just building a house over here, do do do do do
HEY!? Where did my house go?!
Do do do do.. I'm building another house here, do do do do do..
😂🐝
Great video. I am certainly not questioning your method, but it has been my experience that placing a drawn comb frame in the first and last frame position with foundation frames in between seems to draw the bees up. Otherwise, I concur with JTR Bees in that all drawn comb frames should be grouped, together and all foundation frames grouped together. For me, Intermixing or “checkerboarding” drawn comb frames and foundation frames always result in really thick drawn frames and very thin (hard to uncap) foundation frames.
Hi Bob, thank you. Yes that appears to also work with the frames on each far side. But being supers it’s not to much of a bother if they tend to be on the thick side, if the bees do decide to do that. Plus I do like to move the super frames around if that is the case. It’s more the introduction and beginning of the build. Thanks for comment 😊🐝
great video
Thank you very much 🐝😊
0:52 - Possibly they are Not invested in hive because they are planning to swarm? its a thought
Hi VeganMarcella, Not in this case, as some bees just take a little encouragement to build sometimes. They are still here 😊🐝
I have seen where it helps to remove the queen excluder (QE) until the bees start building out comb similar to the ones you have transplanted from the other hive. Once they start building out comb you can put the QE back in before they build the comb out all the way....therefore no chance of the queen laying eggs up in the honey super.
Hi J, yes that is a good idea but some bees need a little more of a push to get them interested in building. 🐝
@@berintanbees So are you saying you removed the Queen Excluder and they still did not go up and draw comb?
Yes, they didn’t go up even without the excluder, really stubborn hive.
Might give this a try, we have 1 hive with vast amount of honey in brood box but not building super, its neighbour doing very well
Hi Angela, well I’m pleased you found this useful. 😊🐝
Ang, I melt old or extra wax and paint it on the frames. For standard (deep) frames, ditto and I bring a frame of brood up and surrounded by bare waxed frames.
@@cmathews5909 would never have thought of that, thanks
Hey there , I’m in the states, what kind of boxes are you using are they styrofoam? Could you post the name of them ? Enjoyed your video !
Hi Terry, thank you. Yes they are poly hives honey paw 🐝🐝
What kind of bee boxes are those?
Hi Ladle, they are poly langstroths
@@berintanbees Cool. How cold do your winters get?
Would you consider posting a video on pros/cons of poly hives compared to standard wood?
Hi Ladle, our winters vary each year could be -4 at a push but with the world changing I can’t say. I will look into doing a video on the two, thanks for your suggestion 😊🐝
Would adding a top feeder while they draw the super help them draw.
only feed to build up a brood nest not a Honey super
@@richardevans3084 I understand that it's sort of pointless for honey production but was more thinking a very short kickstart for them in drawing comb up in the super.
Appreciate ya.
Hi Breaking, never for a super only for brood chamber, like Richard has said. I understand what you are saying but this leads to cross contamination. 🐝😊
@@berintanbees right on. appreciate the info.
this works if your supers and frames are the same sizes, sadly in my case they are not. at least I didn't buy the oddly sized equipment.
Hi Yaddahy, yes indeed, it does help, hah 😊🐝
Disappointed that there was no follow up video with a status! Did it work?
Yes this works had a whole super drawn after this technique. 🐝
Ikut nyimak biar tambah ilmu..
Hi Mas, semoga subtitlenya berhasil 😊🐝
I don't bother with Super Frames... All my Hives use Brood Frames ! You can add Brood Frames into two Supers on top of each other... bit of Space for Drone Comb, as Bees desire ! (You can easily trim this off pre - Honey Extraction / Harvesting.
Also... better to not take one Frame from one Colony to another, might be pathogens, you can't see. Better to take Outer Honey Frame in Brood Box, move that up to Central position in Your 'Honey Box' 2nd level Brood Box & Frames etc... [aka non Super !] And in that Brood Box : added New Frame(s) into the centre of the Nest, move Frames so outer position is filled with another potential Honey Frame ! (Move that to next added Honey Box... Next time.
Get it ! Easy to do even if you have only one Hive ! Bees get drawn up into that New Box.... Also if you confine said area with some Dummy Boards... Bees fill the centre Frames quicker... Bees don't like big empty draughty places ! 🤭
Try this... it works every time.
Same applies to all New boxes, whether it's a Nuc into a x10 Frame Brood Chamber, confine it, and it builds up way faster !
🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝
Happy Beekeeping 2022.
🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝
Say Hi from a very Sunny and Warm Scotland 🏴 🤣 Yes... it did get to 28C today, lovely ! And I now have x16 Colonies, having started with x2 Wintered Hives (lost x4, even one in late April, doh! Queen OK on 10th, Dead on the 22nd ?)
Don't lose Bees, prevent Swarming, and make your Own Queens 👑 ✔
I use Langstroth Brood Frames in my x2, x5, x10 Boxes, even in Supers !
Dummy Boards are timber strips : Glued, Screwed to (Dumpster) Insulation Foam Board.
Nice, easy, works, and Cheap to make. 😉
Nice Video by the way.
🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝
Unless you know your Bees very well....
I wouldn't swap anything from one Hive to add to another.... I have several Hive Tools, or clean it, in between Inspections etc.
All Nucs, are made into each Box and isolated until Queens are made (Queen Cells) or adding a Spare Queen.... until you see that Brood Pattern, best to not swap stuff about. Just saying ! 👍
Hi M, yes it seems a lot of people like to use deep frames for all. I have many medians so will continue down that root for now, plus it get very heavy. I also do know my bees very well, healthy. Tools are always washed every inspection and gloves changed as they should be! There are so many techniques and tricks with bees it go on forever. Sorry to hear that about your bees. Thanks for comment 😊🐝
What?
🐝
sorta like taxing the ones with that have worked to have (rich) and give to the ones that are lazy and haven't done any thing to improve them self's the (Poor)
Hi Gray, hah you could look at it like that. But on the other hand, if there was a hive dying off aka “doomed” the bees would rob it for there remaining honey stores no questions asked. 🐝😊