# New keeper and questions on harvesting



## Sunflower42479 (Jun 10, 2013)

I assume I should just leave it this first year...


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## A. S. Templeton (Nov 30, 2009)

Sunflower42479 said:


> I assume I should just leave it this first year...


Hi, welcome to the craft of frameless Warré beekeeping and the forum.

Have the bees built downward past the first/initial box? Stopping building regardless of added space below can be a problem, often termed the "false floor" phenomenon. If you are afflicted by false-floor, you could try omitting top bars below the stoppage. If not using frames or demiframes, the combs will be secured to the box walls, and the two-box tall comb could be carefully cut with cord or cheesewire when harvest time comes round.

Given the initial trauma of installation, it might be advisable to forego harvest this year. Unless your colony has fully occupied 3+ boxes (do you have a lift?) you won't be doing it any favors by harvesting or attempting to "adjust" comb structure.

How is the forage this year? Are there likely to be plentiful pollen-rich plants through the autumn? Honey is essential of course but fat bees going into winter are needed for rapid spring buildup.

/Alex Templeton


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## Sunflower42479 (Jun 10, 2013)

Thanks for the response.

So my bees had moved down into the second box quite well and I added the third box with top bars. I was going to give them a month or so to build it out and see where we stand then. 

According to information that I have we should just be entering the high nectar period where I am. So the thing I'm not sure of is how to tell if the bees are bringing back nectar... Pollen no problem (that has definitely subsided). But I'm not sure how long the pollen lasts here. (Again it looks as though there should be pollen until August or so based on the information I have)

I do not have a lift.


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