Drilling holes in honey supers

[Finman]

A major factor in honey collection is the thermal efficiency of the very heat intensive ripening process

Major factor is good pastures. Bees take care of ripening.

You cannot explain everything with thermal physics.

Bees take care of ripening the honey. You only put new supers for nectar, than bees can spread nectar to rippen as thin layers.

 

[birdsandbees]

surely Thermal efficiency would have an effect though, especially in cooler climates?

less bees needed to keep the hive up to temperature would equal more foragers wouldn't it?

I certainly wouldn't entertain the idea of holes in my Poly Hive Supers, it's a bit like having the front door and upstairs windows wide open, bye bye warmth.

 

[Murox]

Hello all, 1st post ever on this forum. Seeking advise please.
I’m a beek for 3 years now, located in SW Scotland. I manage an apiary of 12-15 hives, mostly polystyrene.
I’d like to increase my honey production, ideally without increasing the no. of hives, so looking at getting more honey per hive.
To achieve this, I’m thinking of drilling holes in my supers. The logic is in SW Scotland, we’re very limited with how many sunny (foraging) days we have, so giving the bees direct and quick access to the honey supers should (in theory) increase the amount of nectar collected.
Tiny problem I have is I have my hives set up as “warm way” (quite windy here, so to protect the hive and Brood from chilling), so it feels a bit awkward to drill from the front, right in front of a frame. Makes more sense to drill from the side, so the bees have instant access to all frames.
Thoughts? Do you see any difference drilling in front or through the side of the super?
Thoughts in general regarding drilling into supers and the logic behind it considering my location?
Many thanks.

Don't do it! for all of the reasons already mentioned, plus why cause potential stress to bees just for your own gratification. Good forage make H(m)oney. As does good husbandry.

 

[Curly green fingers]

I can vaguely remember my grandad having secondary entrances in a second brood box for drones and foragers
To come and go when the honey flows were strong .
I can't see how it would benefit doing it in the supers .
Unless there your second brood box!

 

[applejack33]

Holes in supers

Why ruin a super by drilling a hole in the side?
My mentor suggested I produce bigger colonies to get bigger crops.
His idea was to overwinter (if poss) twice as many colonies as you require. In spring when they get going to a good size, unite and bring your number of hives down to half as many, eventually on single brood configuration.
As I understand it the single colony may have half the workforce in the hive and the other half out foraging. When two colonies are united approximately the same number of workers would be required to do the work in the hive while the extra numbers will add to the foragers. So this would equate to a quarter of them inside and three quarters outside. Three times as many foragers. Great for when there is a crop available to gather as much as possible in the short time it might be there.
Minimum amount of extra equipment needed apart from all the extra supers being filled quickly.
This is what I have been told. It could be flawed but has worked for me this past season....

 

[Finman]

Why ruin a super by drilling a hole in the side?
My mentor suggested I produce bigger colonies to get bigger crops.
....

I have a hole in every box. I put a plug into the hole when it is not needed.
Boxes are not ruined. They are better than without a hole.

When I have a hole in the hive tower, bees use to fly into that site. When the box changes the place, bees need again a hole in the same place. Otherwise bees walk around the wall and wonder, what happened to their entrance.

I must repair quite much holes when woodpeckers make them

 

[applejack33]

Holes in supers

One time I used a top entrance was with a Snelgrove board. Very successful it was too, for swarm control and producing new queens.
Might consider a shim with an entrance in it, between supers, if my extra large (united) colony were finding the main entrance congested much of the time.
Still don't go much on drilling holes in perfectly sound boxes though, and would never do it on my Poly's.

 

[GuyNir]

Still don't go much on drilling holes in perfectly sound boxes though, and would never do it on my Poly's.

I hear you... Consensus here it seems.
Always better to seek advise before drilling

 

[Ian123]

I hear you... Consensus here it seems.
Always better to seek advise before drilling

On a more serious note I wish I had done that with a couple of x girlfriends

 

[birdsandbees]

On a more serious note I wish I had done that with a couple of x girlfriends

 

[Millet]

On a more serious note I wish I had done that with a couple of x girlfriends