# brood but



## Finally Home (Oct 13, 2013)

no honey. They are bringing pollen in just fine. Queen is laying so/so. Not gang busting but doing ok. Only my second year so I really don't have anything to compare with. Have brood in all stages but no honey on the frames. Had another hive that had a good amount of honey frames so I swiped one and put in this hive. any thoughts or idea's??


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

What part of the country are you in? Is the honey flow going in your area right now? If they are raising a lot of brood and there isn't a major flow on then they are probably using all they can get to feed the brood.


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## Finally Home (Oct 13, 2013)

Great lakes region. 
I had 3 hives make it through winter. One has almost got the first deep full. The next lost its queen so I requeened that one but think she isn't mated. 2 weeks and no brood. Then this one with brood but no honey. Still new at this so I'm not sure how to tell if there is a light/medium/heavy flow. All 3 are bringing in alot of pollen. No dandelion's in bloom yet.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Great lake area covers a lot of states, Michigan smack in the middle, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Here in SE Michigan only thing blooming for nectar right now is spring flowers in gardens and the catkins on ussy willows. Expect the same in Wisconsin and Minnesota. 1:1 syrup is the rule of the day till the fruit trees start blooming at least of till the bees stop taking it in. 

Really if you tell us which state the boogie man won't get you.

 Al


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

I second Alleyyooper. You need to be feeding sugar water so they can build up.

A word of caution. I had a beginner do this and we are still trying to straighten out her hives, so now I pass this along when talking about feeding sugar water. You feed sugar water early in the Spring so that your bees will build numbers so that they have sufficient population to take in a good harvest when the honey flow starts. Sometimes they will build up quickly. Keep an eye on your bees so that they do not get crowded. Especially keep an eye on the brood nest and make sure your queen doesn't run out of room to lay. Be prepared to checkerboard the brood nest if needed. My beginners didn't know to do that and you have never seen so many queen cells in your life as what I dug out of their hives! The bees were ready to swarm even before the start of the nectar flow. 

Don't let that scare you away from feeding your bees. Just know that you need to keep an eye on them.


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## Finally Home (Oct 13, 2013)

Sorry folks. N.W. Ind. I think they are getting pollen from the maple trees. I have been feeding them sugar water for just over 2 weeks now. I made inner covers with a round hole to put a quart jar and a empty honey box to cover it so it wouldn't freeze when a few of the nights got cold. 
I have been checking them every week to be sure they don't run out of room. In the one strong hive the queen is already into the second box. Also been keeping an eye out for any extra large cells 
Since 2 out of the 3 have a good honey supply do you think this one could be getting robbed?? I reduced the entrance today after thinking about that (just in case).


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

Watch for robbing behavior at the front of the hive. Robber bees do not act like normal field bees. There are quite a few youtube videos that may help. Also, watch to see where bees taking off are heading. Are they heading out to get nectar or are they hopping over to another hive.


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## Finally Home (Oct 13, 2013)

Will take a look. Thanks for the info/help.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Put the state in your profile so we don't have to try and remember where you are.

 Al


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## Finally Home (Oct 13, 2013)

alleyyooper said:


> Put the state in your profile so we don't have to try and remember where you are.
> 
> Al


Should help me remember as well :spinsmiley: Thanks Al


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Well the syrup has been on a while how are they doing now?

I put a gallon of syrup on ours with the spring Fumigilian mix, was surprised they didn't take the whole gallon in a week.
Course we are 10F below normal still in the high 30F range at night and mid 50'sF during the day.

 Al


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## Finally Home (Oct 13, 2013)

They appear to be balancing out. With the syrup and reducer in, it seems to have helped. Thanks again for the help.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Not sure how you are feeding the syrup but should be able to open the entrance up to at least 6 inches now. Ours are that year around but we feed with gallon jars over the intercover hole & hive top feeders.


 Al


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## Finally Home (Oct 13, 2013)

I have the large opening on the entrance reducer now. I made inner covers that accept a quart jar like the boardman feeders. Hives are in the front yard. Nice n close. Will be a couple years before I start putting hives out back where I'd use a larger feeder.
Hoping to be able to catch some swarms this year. I will put some of them at other places. I've picked up some of the 2 gallon feeders that I'll use on them.


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## Finally Home (Oct 13, 2013)

Hive has completely straightened out and doing very well. Removed the feeder and put a super on recently and they are working on it. Thanks for the help.


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## the kid (Jul 9, 2006)

got my 5 frame nuc three weeks ago ,,, no honey frames just 5 frames of brood I put a frame of honey in ,, the girls filled the one frame prety much full of nector , and have a good start on a another ,,,the queen filled the others with eggs and brood , and filled all the comb that had emerged ,, now she has one frame in the second box over half filled with eggs ,,, I had never got any thing from this guy and I was the first to pick up a nuc this year ,,, my wife even said that those frames were super full with bees and all 5 frames were FULL of brood , now if I want any nucs next year I know were I'm getting them , and only $5 more then 3 pounds ,, and they are so sweet I don't use any smoke and so far they dont even check me out when I open them up..... so good so far :buds::buds:


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## the kid (Jul 9, 2006)

sorry i was trying to post but not here


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## Finally Home (Oct 13, 2013)

the kid said:


> sorry i was trying to post but not here


No problem. Glad you got such a great nuc. I also recently got a 5 frame nuc but only 1 1/2 frames of brood, 1 of honey/nectar and 2 drawn out frames of nothing???? But they also are very gentle and are doing quite well. 
Where are you located??


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## tom j (Apr 3, 2009)

30 miles north of mpls


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## Lupine (Oct 2, 2013)

If your hives are in a row, one usually ends up heavier than the other, and it's usually on one end. Called hive drift. 

Also, could be robbing. 

It's important to equalize your colonies. If you don't have enough adults to protect the hive (i.e. from drift) you'll end up with a hive like this. 

Equalize by making sure you have equal enough brood, bees, honey, pollen and empty comb in each colony. Consider swapping hives like a shell game--rotate formerly weak hive to middle or opposite end. 

And early Spring, 2 parts water to one part CANE sugar (I avoid beet sugar). Later, 1 to 1. In Fall, 2 sugar to 1 water if it's dry weather, or dry sugar if its wet.


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