Comments on: Thinking Out Loud http://www.beekeepersfriend.com/2011/05/17/thinking-out-loud/ Peaches' Beekeeping Blog Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:35:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: ekpeach http://www.beekeepersfriend.com/2011/05/17/thinking-out-loud/comment-page-1/#comment-10565 ekpeach Wed, 08 Jun 2011 22:07:06 +0000 http://www.beekeepersfriend.com/?p=761#comment-10565 Bill, I am ashamed that I did not answer your questions sooner. I should be shot! Where abouts in South AL. are you? If you are North of Montgomery, then I would think that two deep brood boxes are in order, but again, that is just my opinion. If you are in the line near Brewton and Dothan, then one deep or two or three medium brood boxes would do just fine. Your screened bottoms and migratory tops are just what the doctor ordered. I only use the queen excluder between the brood chamber and first honey super until it is capped over, then I take the queen excluder out and store it until next Spring. The first honey super is to be left with the hive so the bees can use it for winter food. The queen will eventually move up into that super and probably lay eggs. Bees rarely move down, so the thing to do would be to reverse the honey super with the brood box so the bees will move up into the brood box. Then you can reverse again and put the excluder between the brood and the first honey super until it is full again. As far as getting ready for the Winter, that is still dependent on where you live. Give me a comment or email me at ekpeach@dpeach.com and I will try to help you out. Until then-- Bill,

I am ashamed that I did not answer your questions sooner. I should be shot!

Where abouts in South AL. are you? If you are North of Montgomery, then I would think that two deep brood boxes are in order, but again, that is just my opinion. If you are in the line near Brewton and Dothan, then one deep or two or three medium brood boxes would do just fine.

Your screened bottoms and migratory tops are just what the doctor ordered. I only use the queen excluder between the brood chamber and first honey super until it is capped over, then I take the queen excluder out and store it until next Spring.

The first honey super is to be left with the hive so the bees can use it for winter food. The queen will eventually move up into that super and probably lay eggs. Bees rarely move down, so the thing to do would be to reverse the honey super with the brood box so the bees will move up into the brood box. Then you can reverse again and put the excluder between the brood and the first honey super until it is full again.

As far as getting ready for the Winter, that is still dependent on where you live. Give me a comment or email me at ekpeach@dpeach.com and I will try to help you out. Until then–

]]> By: Bill http://www.beekeepersfriend.com/2011/05/17/thinking-out-loud/comment-page-1/#comment-10559 Bill Thu, 19 May 2011 15:37:56 +0000 http://www.beekeepersfriend.com/?p=761#comment-10559 I have be reading over most of the previous entries and have really enjoyed the blog. I am a newbee, live in south Alabama, and got two nucs in March. I am interested in following the no treatment approach. Can you tell me what you would recommend as a hive configuration for my location. Currently I have a screened bottom board, 10 frame- 9 5/8 inch hive body, queen excluder, 6 inch super, inner cover, and migratory lid. One of the 2-hives has about 20-30% of the super with drawn comb, some capped honey and they are filling the other. The second hive seems to be about 2-3 weeks behind the 1st hive, 15-20% drawn comb and some stored and capped honey. Does the hive body need to be expanded or is 1-brood chamber OK for south AL? What would you recommend in south Al for an overwinter configuration? Looking forward to your advice, Bill I have be reading over most of the previous entries and have really enjoyed the blog. I am a newbee, live in south Alabama, and got two nucs in March. I am interested in following the no treatment approach. Can you tell me what you would recommend as a hive configuration for my location. Currently I have a screened bottom board, 10 frame- 9 5/8 inch hive body, queen excluder, 6 inch super, inner cover, and migratory lid. One of the 2-hives has about 20-30% of the super with drawn comb, some capped honey and they are filling the other. The second hive seems to be about 2-3 weeks behind the 1st hive, 15-20% drawn comb and some stored and capped honey. Does the hive body need to be expanded or is 1-brood chamber OK for south AL? What would you recommend in south Al for an overwinter configuration?

Looking forward to your advice,

Bill

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