full super question

[Cuckmere couple]

so i have 2-3 hives with a full super at top and partly full underneath

the full supers are mostly capped but still full of bees

occurs to me that it may be worth forcing them to work on the ones that are partly full by adding a clearer board under the full ones

theyre still bringing in nectar and im going to spin them all at the same time in a couple of weeks

comments?

 

[enrico]

They will find their way back up through the clearer boards.if you lock them out completely watch out for earwigs and ants. I wouldn't do it!
E

 

[Erichalfbee]

I would leave them alone as they are

 

[Teebeeaitch]

Perhaps best to leave them alone. I have found working with them is a better way than forcing them to do something else.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

ok

it just seems a lot of effort expended for a super pretty much nearly complete and still to be full of bees

maybe better to spin and give back

i was bothered about removing for the same reason (ants etc) as dont want full supers stacked for 2-3 weeks

 

[Erichalfbee]

ok



maybe better to spin and give back

Waste of time
Get the bees to take it into the brood after you’ve taken the rest of the honey off.
Nadir it or put over a crownboard with a bee size hole in it.
I find putting it under works a treat and if the bees have room it’ll be moved in a matter of days

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Waste of time
Get the bees to take it into the brood after you’ve taken the rest of the honey off.
Nadir it or put over a crownboard with a bee size hole in it.
I find putting it under works a treat and if the bees have room it’ll be moved in a matter of days

Would you leave it under the brood box for the Winter or remove it before Winter?
I've nadired a full super and left it in place, but not extracted supers.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Would you leave it under the brood box for the Winter or remove it before Winter?
I've nadired a full super and left it in place, but not extracted supers.

I don’t put extracted supers under, just uncapped honey

I leave them over winter

 

[drex]

Work with your bees, not against them. There are still bees in that super as they still have work to do there, namely to finish filling the cells and then capping them. At harvest time, which I do all in one go for summer honey, I just go through, shaking suspect frames and any unripe get put in their own super and then left for the bees

 

[Beefriendly]

ok

it just seems a lot of effort expended for a super pretty much nearly complete and still to be full of bees

maybe better to spin and give back

i was bothered about removing for the same reason (ants etc) as dont want full supers stacked for 2-3 weeks

If you have ,lots of bees in fully capped supers suggests you have a space issue with bee parking space. If all frames are fully capped then usually there are few bees in them as little space for them.

I've accidentally had a senior moment where I've forgotten that I added rhombus clearer boards and only discovered my actions a week or so later. Bees do not find their way back up.
But unless you are planning to extract 24 hours or so after adding clearer board why do it?
You can lose the lot should there be a small gap left unnoticed....it's amazing how quickly a full super can be robbed out...as I have found to my cost a time or two over the years.

 

[enrico]

If you have ,lots of bees in fully capped supers suggests you have a space issue with bee parking space. If all frames are fully capped then usually there are few bees in them as little space for them.

I've accidentally had a senior moment where I've forgotten that I added rhombus clearer boards and only discovered my actions a week or so later. Bees do not find their way back up.
But unless you are planning to extract 24 hours or so after adding clearer board why do it?
You can lose the lot should there be a small gap left unnoticed....it's amazing how quickly a full super can be robbed out...as I have found to my cost a time or two over the years.

My bees are cleverer than yours then!

 

[Beefriendly]

My bees are cleverer than yours then!

Possibly....

 

[enrico]

This is ironic..... Just been down to a hive. Last inspection last week I put a super on top of a clearer board rather than put it on the ground. It obviously stuck to the bottom as I never realised I therefore had a clearer board (rhombus)half way down the hive!
Saw it straightaway when I went down today! Opened the hive and there were as many bees above the clearer board as below! Just hope they don't have long memories! Stupid mistake that I won't make again as it could have ended in disaster!
E