BBKA Forum

Ok after a shocking week of weather I’m late to the party.
I’ve removed my last super, put in the Varroa strips, provided food (fondant) and syrup (invertabee). My intention is to give the super back after treatment.

Now my question ! Is it all to late? I could only see sporadic laying in the brood box?
They are building comb everywhere! But there was not much stores. However the super is about 8 frames. Am I likely to loose this colony over winter?
They are still bringing in pollen??
Or may I just scrape through??

There is time to feed and get them ready for winter; you can put the super under the brood box (nadiring) rather than take the super away and extract. The further south you are, the more time you potentially have.
Not sure wht you mean by 'building comb everywhere' as bees will only build comb when they have something to put in it, so I guess the comb they have built is now partially empty of stores?
Queens will naturally slow down their laying a this time of year and can have a brood break too. This is more likely to happen if there has not been much income.
You can leave fondant on the hive over winter however winter fuel consumption is less with an insulated hive. Assuming you have a wooden one, a slab of 2" celotex/kingspan on the crown board helps enourmously.

Thanks,

I removed the super to treat for varroa. The Comb they build all around the queen excluder and filled with honey too.
I’m right on the south east coast, so expecting to see temps stay in double figures for 4 weeks at least.
Hopefully I can quickly add the super when I remove the varroa strips. Then add some insulation and more fondant.
Thanks again.

As Adam says you have plenty of time to feed etc.
I'm puzzled by why you are removing the super during treatment.
If you have no intention of removing the honey and intend leaving it for the bees then there is no point removing it. The uncontaminated honey in it should remain uncontaminated and even if it does become slightly contaminated the bees won't mind. If it is intended for human consumption totally different ball game .......
As Adam also says it can be quite a good idea to put the super underneath the brood box (no queen excluder). The bees will use the honey and come spring you should (emphasis on should) find queen laying in the warm top brood box an and empty super.
Sporadic laying is also typical of this time of the year as they are ramping down for the long winter months.

What I can leave the super above the brood box while treating??

Totally missed that. I might stick the super back on top then and see if they take more stores down

You can leave the super where you so desire..below the brood box is better if you want it empty come spring but if you want it full off eggs and brood come spring leave it above the brood box.. Queen excluder removed.

If they are building comb and filling it with stores it sounds more likely to me that you don't have the correct 'bee space' between boxes.

They built comb around the QE.. that was the surprise. Super placed underneath today, not many mites dropped in 1.5 weeks.
Taken 2.5kg of candigold… and a litre of syrup.


Now for the shocker, the small nuc has gone into overdrive on the 14-12 frames Filled a frame this week with stores and still building comb lots of lovely brood together as well as bees trembling. .. also taking down plenty of syrup. A quick feeder full to empty in 1 week.

Sounds like you are using a wire excluder ??

That rings true
I have a langstroth for emergency use thats sleeved down to take BS frames but it still has its original wire qx.
They brace it like crazy (beespace correct)
I never get much on punched steel type but a little in the plastic ones.