# Are my bees going to swarm?



## Kendal (Apr 12, 2011)

I could not get your pictures to open in my browser (I'm at work, not necessarily your fault). But I remember the hives of the guy I keep my bees at. You know the old saying, if you have to ask how much it costs, you can't afford it? If you have to ask if your bees will swarm, they probably will. My friend's bees had burr comb and honey crammed in on all the top bars, does this sound familiar? I told him to super up immediately, he probably should have done so a week ago. With no supers on, you can tip your second box up (let the end of the box rest on the top of the lower box) for a very superficial inspection of the bottom bars of the second box. If you see swarm cells there, they are getting ready already. If you have the time, inspect them frame by frame, both boxes. You can destroy any queen cells you find, but you're late to the party. Do that, but set out a bait hive as insurance. And by all means, get on another super, preferably w/o excluder. No need to make it any more difficult for the bees to find the empty super space.


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## Gabmux (May 24, 2011)

Here are more pictures. Are you saying I should put on honey supers?
Even if combs below are not filled? As you can tell I have no practical experience
and gladly welcome any and all suggestions or criticism.


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## Gabmux (May 24, 2011)

Need to know proper placement of excluder and inner cover.
Inner cover on top of excluder or inner cover below excluder?
Does inner cover belong with extruder at all?


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## Ben Franklin (May 3, 2011)

After using an excluder I would not use one again. Honey Excluder is more like what it should be called.
I don't think your hive is getting ready to swarm, it should be over flowing with bees if it was going to swarm.
Ecluder goes over the brood chamber, the inner cover goes under the telescopic top.


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## Desert Viking Ranch (Mar 1, 2011)

There are effective ways to use a queen excluder. IF you do decide to use one, place it on top of the brood box as stated (and below the honey supers) but also use a top entrance. Using a bottom entrance with an excluder results in poor honey production (based on my reading).


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## Gabmux (May 24, 2011)

What does a top entrance consist of? How do I make one?
Is the small cutout at the edge of the inner cover a sufficient top entrance?


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## Desert Viking Ranch (Mar 1, 2011)

Gabmux said:


> What does a top entrance consist of? How do I make one?
> Is the small cutout at the edge of the inner cover a sufficient top entrance?


The small cutout at the edge will work, however it would be a reduced entrance.See the link here for an idea of an upper entrance: http://www.beesource.com/point-of-view/jerry-hayes/queen-excluder-or-honey-excluder/. You can also just slide some shims to prop up the honey super in a pinch as well.


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## Gabmux (May 24, 2011)

Since my last visit here, I have added a 3.5" x 3/8" entrance just above the queen extruder and both honey supers.
I checked a few days ago, and the first honey super is filling with comb. Hundreds of bees are still covering the front of hive.
I'm guessing due to hot weather bearding? I started this hive from package bees at the end of May 2011. Is it possible
that this hive will have to be somehow split due to over population before winter? If both honey supers become filled,
does that amount have to remain in the hive to feed the bees during winter?


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