Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Adding a second box
All of my colonies I installed from the April 23rd delivery are ready for their second box. The ones I have started on foundation and have been feeding syrup to draw foundation, have 80 % of the comb drawn out. I take one of the outside frames that the bees are working on and move it up to the second box. This bait frame will make the bees move up into the second box that has just foundation in, faster. I will now run 9 frames, evenly spaced out, in the bottom box and 10 frames in the second box. I also change the entrance reducer to the larger opening. The feeder pail is moved up on top of the second box. I continue to feed syrup to keep the bees in a nectar flow until all the frames are drawn out. I know if I stop feeding, the bees will not draw out the foundation.