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First year beekeeper here , I have 2 strong hives both performing very well, one hive has a super 100% full and capped and other hive has very little capped, should I remove full super abd force them to store honey in the brood boxes and leave the empty super alone?
Two deep brood boxes winters fine. I'd remove super from both hives. Allow them to gather what is left of fall flow then check to see how much feed they need for winter. Uncapped super comb may or may not be honey. You can use dehumidifier or just spin out the honey frames and then put out for the bees to rob back to hives. I've used a refractometer for years to check just how accurate the old school method of ensuring the uncapped frames are honey. It works. Hold the frame flat and drop your arms fast and snap back to stop. A drop shake test, if honey is in the open comb then it won't come out. If it's high water content it will rain out so don't spin that frame. Knowing I'm letting the bees rob back and clean the frames I gently shake an open frame to test for nectar, if it passes I try the hard shake.
Once we get a frost and this long fall flow ends you can check your hives to ensure they have enough stores for winter. There will be videos and discussions here on VBA I'm sure. Before the derth you should close down entrances or add a robbing screen to the hives. I use 1/4 inch hardware cloth stapled flat across the entrance for robbing screen and leave it on for winter as a mouse guard.
Once we get a frost and this long fall flow ends you can check your hives to ensure they have enough stores for winter. There will be videos and discussions here on VBA I'm sure. Before the derth you should close down entrances or add a robbing screen to the hives. I use 1/4 inch hardware cloth stapled flat across the entrance for robbing screen and leave it on for winter as a mouse guard.
I should ask if you are running a double deep brood box? Or a single and medium?
2 brood boxes in both hives and 1 super on each . One super already capped and full I will remove that and put back on another super with drawn out comb already .
You shouldn't need the two deep and medium to winter unless you have Italians. You can have 80 to 90 lbs of stores in two deeps no problem.
I winter my hives in two deeps and a medium. You could remove the supers. I would do it now.
The flow is done and I don't expect much weight gain from here on. What might come in,
is being used up supporting the brood that is still being reared.
You could leave the super on the lightest hive. Feed both as needed. Double deep hives in Vermont...145 lbs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRkbSDqafG4
The flow is done and I don't expect much weight gain from here on. What might come in,
is being used up supporting the brood that is still being reared.
You could leave the super on the lightest hive. Feed both as needed. Double deep hives in Vermont...145 lbs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRkbSDqafG4
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