Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
This is where choosing medium-depth, eight-frame equipment is truly a benefit.
When it's time to add that additional super, first remove the partially filled box,
then put the new box directly on top of the queen excluder that was added when
the third super was put on. Your bees, accustomed to the excluder, easily move up
to store nectar and honey, will continue to do so, filling the top super. On the way
up they pass right through the new space and will begin to take advantage of it, as
long as nectar continues to come into the colony.
Pollen substitute patties (available from bee suppliers) provide the minerals, proteins,
and other nutrients honey bees need so they don't sacrifice the protein in their bodies
to feed their young, and have the resources needed to make food for the colony.
Pollen you have collected in a pollen trap is a better food than a pollen substitute. You
can purchase pollen that has been irradiated to eliminate any disease organisms. Pol-
len you collect can also be packaged and sold to supplement your income from honey
sales (above).
After two to three weeks, depending on the weather, the third box should have three
or four frames with comb and two or three with some brood. The broodnest should en-
compass one or two frames in the top box and most of the frames in the middle and
lower box, with pollen and honey stored on the edges, and mostly or all honey on the
very edge. The outer side of the frames on the edge may be barely filled with comb and
a little honey this early in the season. Again, exchange frame locations to encourage the
bees to fill the partial frames in all boxes.
Be patient—it may take twice as long as described to set up your colony. The key is
to observe the sequence of events and the buildup of the whole colony. Weather, avail-
