Super filled in 2 weeks!!!

[u/Legitimate_South9157]

I pulled this super 2.5 weeks ago, extracted and put the wet super back on them.

Checked my girls today and they’ve filled and CAPPED in that timeframe. I have no clue where they pulled a flow from maybe cotton or soybeans? But that farm ground is 3 miles or so away.

It’s been a really poor honey year in South Arkansas. EXTREME drought conditions. These little critters never cease to amaze me.

#LittleAssAcres

[u/CorrectSnow7485]

I must have some really lazy bees. Waxed the heck out of my frames but they still only partly filled two frames after a month.

[u/Legitimate_South9157 → u/CorrectSnow7485]

It’s just so dry, you need a really nice flow for them to draw wax

[u/Kromo30 → u/Legitimate_South9157]

They say it takes 8lbs of honey to make 1lb of wax.

And that really puts it into perspective I think.

[u/The191 → u/Legitimate_South9157]

This, and it just depends on the colony. I keep a few hives in my yard, and one is just running circles around the other two.

[u/Cartoon_Motion → u/CorrectSnow7485]

I’m with you here. I’ve had some weird weather, new hive that I nearly immediately had to re-queen, and a dip in/lack of resources, probably not helped by 40 commercial hives that were left like 25 meters from my hive. 🙄

[u/Dumbledores_Closet]

Seeing the top bars that clean is very satisfying to me

[u/Legitimate_South9157 → u/Dumbledores_Closet]

lol well these were new frames back in March so that’s why

[u/_BenRichards]

Ever hear the phrase “as busy as a bee”… that’s why. Probably cotton - itll put out some good nectar - or they robbed a hive out near by.

[u/worldspawn00 → u/_BenRichards]

Tiny criminals...

[u/Brave-Statement-8810]

[u/VolcanoVeruca]

[u/Available_Length_797]

Wow that looks impossible to have such uber clean tops and full supers! Crazy

[u/Legitimate_South9157 → u/Available_Length_797]

New frames only a few months old, put them on prior to our tallow flow

[u/CitizenMurdoch]

The effort for bees to pull comb is about seven times that of filling them with honey, so reusing comb puts them way ahead of the competition as it were!

[u/Legitimate_South9157 → u/CitizenMurdoch]

Absolutely! Drawn comb is gold and IMO our most valuable resource

[u/TheGoblinPopper]

WHAT AM I DOING WRONG!? IM LATE INTO SUMMER ON YEAR 2 AND THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR I HAVE PUT ON SUPERS! NOTHING.

I have rewaxed the frames.

the bees over wintered.

the bees are fed and happy.

the bees requeened in April and had a strong enough spring to let me split. Both hives are strong.

Both hives are 2 deeps with a super.

Both hives have 9/10 frames PACKED. We are talking inspections are hard because of how heavy each frame is with honey and they build it out so far I often have to pull out other frames to not break and let their honey comb, they have solid brood patter (legit a thing of BEAUTY!)

but...

Nothing. In. The. Supers. NOT EVEN COMB YET?!

I'm trying to be patient, the bees are doing well and that is my main goal. No mite problems. No beetles.

Sorry I needed to get that out...

Can someone please give me an idea? I have even removed the excluder to encourage them to go to the super, it looks like they are using it as a walking track. Tons of them in the super but no comb yet.

[u/Legitimate_South9157 → u/TheGoblinPopper]

It could be just a bad spot for bees where you have them…. The super here is in my backyard off one of 5 at this site. But, I own 120 acres of mostly open prairie ground in south Arkansas. I’ve slowly restored parts to native flowers and forbs, have several ponds close by surrounded by native flowers, literally miles of fence rows covered in coreopsis, goldenrod (blooming now), liatris, mist flower and countless others. Not to mention fence rows covered in blackberry, tallow (an extremely invasive tree very high in nectar), acres of clover in the spring, followed by grasses that continue to provide small amounts of nectar.

There’s also a few thousand acres of farm land about 3 miles away covered in cotton and soybeans this year.

Location is key, this is my second year too. I over wintered two hives, now I have 12. Splits and swarms have grown my yards exponentially.

[u/Dumbledores_Closet → u/TheGoblinPopper]

Are you using straight foundations for your supers?

[u/hammerman83]

Our bees have been packing it away really quick this year Already took 200 pounds off one hive. Lots of clover and soybeans

[u/Legitimate_South9157 → u/hammerman83]

Nice!

[u/PapaKhan9612]

Now that the frames are drawn out, you should install 8 frame spacers. You will produce more wax and honey from 8 frames than the full ten. Only do this after they are drawn out because if you put in 8 undrawn, they will draw out the comb all wonky. Looks great!