Honey Bound?

Question: I did a hive inspection today. I have two deeps with 10 frames each. A 10 frame honey super was added two weeks ago. There are bees in the super but nothing is drawn out. I removed the middle frame of the top deep and it was all capped honey. The frames on either side of that frame also had capped honey. I couldn't remove the top deep to inspect the bottom deep because it is too heavy and I don't have help. Do I need to worry about the hive being honey bound?

responder: Ana HeckApiculture Extension EducatorMichigan State University Extension  Replied July 23, 2023, 10:05 PM EDT
response: Hi Audrey, Thanks for reaching out. It's common for bees to sometimes be reluctant or slower to draw comb this late in the season, so I'm not surprised that they haven't drawn wax in the super.  Are you using a queen excluder? If so, you can try removing it until the bees begin drawing wax in the super. Do you have other colonies or other boxes? If so, you can try putting drawn comb in the super. Empty, drawn comb would be ideal to alleviate crowding. I understand that most beekeepers who are getting started don't have extra drawn comb. Without checking the bottom box, it's hard to know if the bees have enough space. They may be backfilling nectar in the brood nest, or they may be pollen bound in the bottom box. It's also possible that in the bottom box the bees have a nice sized brood nest. I understand it can be hard to check a colony and lift heavy boxes without help. Are you part of a Michigan Bee Club? Sometimes new beekeepers are interested in helping lift in exchange for some in-hive experience. Feel free to join our Michigan Beekeeping July Office Hours Webinar tomorrow, where we will talk about seasonal management and answer beekeeping questions.

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 24, 2023, 8:27 AM EDT
response: Thanks for the reply! We don't have a queen excluder on. There were plenty of bees in the super. This is are only colony. We got them as a nuc at the beginning of May. We have enough equipment for another colony, except for supers. We don't have any drawn comb super frames. My son is the actual beekeeper and I just help. He returns in two weeks. We were thinking of taking out the honey frames and replacing them with drawn comb. Would you do this or would you wait until we can get into the bottom box? I really wanted to attend today's office hours, but I have another commitment at the same time. Are they recorded?

responder: Ana HeckApiculture Extension EducatorMichigan State University Extension  Replied July 24, 2023, 11:07 AM EDT
response: Hello, Yes, we have been recording our office hours webinars this year. We post them to Michigan State University Beekeeping - YouTube, however, it takes several days for us to edit, add closed captions, and upload the recordings. How many frames of empty, drawn comb do you have? If you have a full box, you could add it in between the top deep and the honey super. Sometimes beekeepers prefer to winter hives in 3 deeps because it makes it less likely you'll need to feed syrup in the fall. The bees may not fill up the new box with honey, but you can rearrange later in the season. If you remove just a few frames of honey, you'll need to figure out a way to store them. Normally it's nice to keep honey frames in a hive so that bees can protect them from pests. You could put the full frames in a freezer if you have space.

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 26, 2023, 6:31 PM EDT
response: Thank you!