Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Add Supers? Dandelions are on the horizon


Dandelions, we love them.
Dandelions are starting to pop across the metro area. This is the first major nectar flow of the year. If you have a strong overwintered colony, you need to put supers on now. A strong colony that has not been divided is packed with bees and brood. Failure to put supers on can lead to a hive that is honey bound. All available cells will be full of honey and the queen will have no place to lay. This will affect the hives population in a negative way.
 It is not uncommon for a strong hive to fill two supers of honey from dandelions.
New supers without any drawn comb should be put on without a queen excluder. Check them every three days. Once the bees start making comb and putting in a little nectar on a couple frames, slip the queen excluder under the supers.