# how much honey can bees eat in 2 weeks



## flatfootflukey (Jun 15, 2010)

does anyone know how much honey a good size hive will eat in 2 weeks. 
i inspected my hive today and noticed that a lot of the capped honey was either already gone or in the process of being eating. i know they gorge on uncapped honey when you smoke them but since my last inspection {about 2 weeks } it seems that a lot of what was capped honey in the upper brood box is now empty comb. in fact 2 weeks ago thats all that was in the upper box was capped honey.
i even had to put on a super 3 or 4 weeks ago to give them more room however they never drew out any comb in the super and now there are several frames in the upper box that are empty. 
is this normal or they about to swarm and loading up for the trip? 
i did not check the frames in the bottom box for swarm cells like i should have. this being my first year i still get freaked out when something new is going on and forget what i'm doing. i saw empty comb so i put my hive top feeder on with 1:1 syrup thinking that they were hungry and maybe they would draw out they frames in the super with the syrup. but i'm not sure this was the right move.


----------



## brac (Sep 30, 2009)

Hard to say, how bad has your weather been? Is there no flow on in your area?


----------



## honeybeekeeper (Mar 3, 2010)

*You stated*- maybe they would draw out they frames in the super with the syrup. but i'm not sure this was the right move. 

Yes they just might draw some comb by feeding and yes they will also make you some nice capped sugar/water, unless you enjoy eatting capped sugar/water!!


----------



## NasalSponge (Jul 22, 2008)

Bout the only way to truly answer that question would be to set up a scale hive and take daily readings.


----------



## flatfootflukey (Jun 15, 2010)

the weather here has been raining or hot. i don't think there is a flow going on right now or at least one my bees can get to. the soy beans are blooming but any fields are too far away.
i have a deep for a bottom brood box and a medium super for a top brood box and have added a second medium so if they filled the second medium super with sugar water that would be ok. or will that be too much room to heat this winter?
should i remove the super with just foundation and the feeder just keep an eye on their stores to see if they add to or remove more. or should i leave them on for a jump start on fall and winter. i thought i was heading off a problem before it got bad but i may have just been creating one.
being new to all of this i am not looking for a honey crop this year. i just want to learn as much as i can,gain some experience and help the girls through their first season. if we both survive this first year then next year maybe i can get some honey as well.


----------



## wdcrkapry205 (Feb 11, 2010)

The flow seems to obviously be over right now. I would remove the 2nd medium and keep an eye on the first. I would let them fend for themselves until about the middle to latter part of September, then keeping an eye on their stores feed them 1:1 sugar syrup until you feel they have enough to get them thru the winter.If they require mite treatment be sure to do that in August.


----------



## Russell (Feb 2, 2001)

A little coaching, please.....
I have two hives.
1) one deep + shallow super for brood + 2 suppers for me on top a queen excluder; 2nd top supper has drawn out comb from last yrs hive that died. No honey being put into the 2nd top super at present. The one super under seems to have about 5 frames capped and a couple frames w/ uncapped honey---- should I take the top super off and harvest the 4-5 frames of capped honey and replace those slots with frames of drawn out comb? Should I take the excluder off at this point? 
2) same- one deep + shallow super for brood (currently VERY heavy w/ honey); have one super w/ drawn comb on top of queen excluder; very small amt of uncapped honey. Today-- I took the excluder away thinking --what have I got to lose?

The bees are still hitting the flowers around the house as well as the clover in the lawn.

Thanks.


----------



## wdcrkapry205 (Feb 11, 2010)

Russell, I am not close enough to you to say if you have any more chances to make surplus honey. You really don't need (at this point) that extra super on top, but it's not hurting anything, take it off or leave it either one. I have some on right now and I'll take them off sooner or later. I also have some queen excluders on a few hives. I use a queen excluder as only a tool, never in the spring. I'll use an excluder sometimes after the flow if I want to contain the queen to the bottom box so that later on I can locate her easier if I need too. The flow is over along with swarming season and it doesn't hurt anything. Sometimes I like to keep the queen in the bottom box until just before cold weather so that they don't move up so soon.
Again Russell these are all just my opinions and work for me in my geographical region.

Good Luck!


----------



## Dave W (Aug 3, 2002)

>how much honey a good size hive will eat in 2 weeks . . .
Question may be: How much honey can "robbers" remove in 2 weeks?

Just a thought


----------



## Russell (Feb 2, 2001)

Thanks for the help.

I think I'll harvest what capped honey I have and start using my feeder w/ sugar water. I might get a little more honey squeezed out.


----------

