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SUMMER MANAGEMENT <br /> 0 • As you did in year one with packages and nucs, encourage your colonies to fill their three deep hive <br /> bodies (Figure 45). When the bees have filled over 8 frames in the top box it is time to add the next <br /> box. <br /> • During the inspections, check for swarm cells, and add supers if necessary. The equivalent of two <br /> empty supers should always be available for the bees throughout the main nectar flow. If the supers <br /> contain drawn comb, they can be added to the top of the stack (Figure 46). Supers with foundation <br /> should be put directly above the queen excluder with the previous supers above them (bottom <br /> supering) to encourage the bees to draw out new comb. <br /> • If the bees are reluctant to move from the brood nest into supers with foundation, try temporarily <br /> removing the queen excluder and spraying some sugar syrup or painting molten beeswax on the <br /> foundation so they are attracted to the new box.After the bees start to draw out comb in the supers, <br /> check to make sure the queen did not also move up and put the queen excluder back on. Intermixing <br /> foundation frames between frames with drawn comb can also encourage bees to draw out comb on the <br /> foundation. <br /> • After the nectar flow, remove all honey supers from the colonies (see section on "Harvesting the <br /> Honey"). In Minnesota, remove supers by the end of August. This allows for the bees to store the <br /> remaining incoming nectar for winter and allows for monitoring and managing the varroa mite <br /> population. <br /> • TREAT for VARROA MITES in all colonies following the guidelines in the Honey Bee Diseases and <br /> Pests manual. We cannot overemphasize how important controlling mites is for overwintering survival. <br /> Figure 45. Diagram of summer management of parents and divides. I I <br /> O Q 0 Box<80%full bees <br /> I I I I = Box full bees <br /> a Q a O New box(empty) <br /> I 11 I 0 Open hole <br /> O Corked hole <br /> a o . . Q Original queen <br /> I Io v a a a Q New queen <br /> o P Parent <br /> D Divide <br /> ii i , i iii„ , , IT , , , ,t Iii Milt 111111 111 l . . . . . . hilt ! ! 1 I <br /> a P1 a P1 a P1 a P1 a P1 a P1 a P1 <br /> 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 <br /> aP2 '� P2 4P2 aP2gP2 ' P2 aP2 <br /> �0 P3 Q O P3 Qn P3 riQ P3 Q O P3 Q C P3 QO <br /> QP3 <br /> S S t] S L S L S L S L <br /> Parent:Inspect and I I 1 I <br /> add supers as needed �—' �, <br /> I1 I I 111 / 11111 111111111 I-- J <br /> D1 o D1 D1 <br /> P D3 D3 <br /> l I 1 <br /> �-, o o a <br /> 4 D2 o D2 o D2 o D2 o D2 o D2 o D2 <br /> a a a tJ D3 a a <br /> q o D1 q 0- D1 q 0 D1 q o D1 q 0 9 0 D3 q o D3 <br /> • I I I I I� I I I I I I I I I <br /> Divide:Inspect and add <br /> boxes and supers as needed <br /> Beekeeping in Northern Climates 61 <br />