Add empty super with clearer board?

[clv101]

I have one hive with two recently filled and capped supers. A couple of days ago I added a third box of foundation below these two. I want to remove and extract these two this week.

When I add the clearer board below the two full supers, should I also add a (fourth) super of foundation below the board to give them space to go into or just remove the boxes and assume the bees will squeeze in below?

I can return the extracted supers within around two days.

Basically I'm asking if it's okay to reduce the space for couple of days by removing two supers without compensating by adding a new box?

It's a 14x12 brood box with 8 frames of brood and a couple of frames of pollen/stores.

Secondly - Here we are in the last week of July, I'm in Bristol, what are the chances of filling/capping a super of foundation added now by the end of August?

 

[Cazza]

Personally I would give them the extra space.
Cazza

 

[sandysman]

Personally I would give them the extra space.
Cazza

 

[YorkshireBees]

Depends on the strength of your colony in pure bee numbers and local flow!

As the others have said, I would also give them another super. If they haven't done much with it when you bring the extracted supers back you can always swap it for one of them then.

What is the harm of giving them room? Super not used = take it away.

 

[oliver90owner]

with two recently filled and capped supers.

So likely not so many bees working up there? I wouldn't be worrying for a day or two, but might be taking into account how much of the next super has been drawn. After all, you were well behind with the addition of a further super, as I see it.

what are the chances of filling/capping a super of foundation added now by the end of August?

Can't tell. Weather, strength of colony, nectar flows, etc. Should be a good chance if they have favourable conditions. There again, they could be consuming, instead of filling, it by the end of another month. Nobody can say for sure.

 

[MuswellMetro]

looking at a hives yesterday, i did a few disease inspections as EFB in the area, i was suprised how much capped brood about emerge they had in there, possible due to the hot weather

so i would add a super, emerged brood from two frames of 14x12= about a super of adult worker bees

 

[richardbees]

so i would add a super, emerged brood from two frames of 14x12= about a super of adult worker bees

MM - thanks for the interesting calculation, never thought of it that way before....