Despite bad weather it's time to add supers - My preferred method of adding foundation in my supers
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- čas přidán 8. 04. 2024
- Despite bad weather it's time to add supers - My preferred method of adding foundation in my supers #beekeepingtips #beekeeping101 #beekeeping #irishbeekeeper #beekeepinginireland
It surely has been the wettest Spring in my memory. It's raining most days and the activity from the hives is at a minimum. However, the colonies are growing so, even though the weather is shockingly bad, the colonies will still need to be given space to expand - so it's time to start thinking of adding supers.
In this video I discuss my preferred method for adding foundation in my supers, which I prefer to do in the earlier part of the season.
I'm a part time Beekeeper from Ireland, mainly involved in honey production. I have been keeping bees since I was 8 years of age, with a hiatus somewhere in between.
I also do Queen rearing on a self sustaining level.
Currently we maintain around 50 colonies at various apiary sites, but we do have plans for expansion.
We have a number of projects lined up for this year, although we may have to put some on hold until next year due to recent unforeseen events. But we do hope to show you our progress here.
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Let me know through the comments if there is anything in particular you would like covered through my videos. I don't intend to do 'how to' or instructional type videos, but rather how I do things; which may not always be the best way, but which I find works for me.
Thanks for watching!
Kildallon Apiaries
Great video, thanks for sharing and hello from Louisiana 👋🏻
Thanks 👍👋
Thks for that..
You might try applying glue to your end bars stacked wide side together prior to placing the end bars in your assembly jig. Much quicker if you're fast enough on assembly to get the top bars on prior to the glue drying. Cheers from Colorado USA.
Sounds reasonable.
Indeed I might try that 👍
Well explained. Yes , it was useful information.
I will pass this along. Cheers...
Near Toronto, Canada
Thanks very much for the comment.
Many thanks
Do you use queen excluder? Great video. I will try this season. Good idea to put drawn comb on the outside in the second box.
Thanks for the comment. Yes I do use queen excluders.
I put my super on last week. And completely by accident I have ordered the frames as you describe. I can confirm (as I've peeked through my perspex crownboard) that within a day the bees have been consistently over the central frames. I'm hoping to give them plenty of work to do - weather permitting ofc - in drawing out the comb to slow down the drive towards swarm season.
Excellent 👍. Thanks for the comment.
Thanks for the video. Beekeeping in California, USA. What was your floral source at the end of your filming with the bee collecting light pollen on her leg baskets? I have a guess, Heather?The bell shaped flowers look a lot like the Manzanita bloom here that yields a nice water white very mild and delicious honey if the weather permits for the honeybees to fly. Let me know your main nectar sources there in your country. Blackberry is coming up soon this next month. 🐝
Thanks for the comment. You're correct.... it's an ornamental heather which flowers during the winter and into early spring. Good early forage plant, but is not the yielder of the famous heather honey!
how do you manage to store "wet" drawn comb?
I thought that the comb moth would eat it?
I store them in my shed, covered down. The moth isn't too keen on going at wet comb so I don't have much problems.
Would it be slower overall if you add the foundations before the bottom bar? I assemble mine all at once but for the moment i don't even use a jig. Just wondering as i need to get a jig built sooner than later. Nice looking frames.
I suppose you could try fitting the foundation before bottom bars, especially if you're using plastic foundation. I have never tried but I use wax foundation and I prefer not to fit it until right before I need it.....the frames I am making up to have a bank of assembled frames ready for later in the season when I will need them.
@diaryofanirishbeekeeper Makes sense. I haven't been able to get ahead enough to put any back yet. Panic building today infact..
Any tips for super is you dont have drawn comb..
My answer very much depends on your location and whether you have a flow on or not. If you are experiencing similar weather conditions to what I have going on currently and which has basically stymied any flow but your colonies are growing, a suitable approach is to place the super box with foundation underneath the brood chamber. That way the cluster has room to expand and by default some work, even if it's just housekeeping, will take place. Just remember to switch the super up top as soon as your flow does start. It will then be a little more attractive to the bees as they've already been working on it. If you do have a full flow on or it's about to start, just place the box up top without queen excluder....pop QE on as soon as you see them starting to draw the foundation.