Full super: remove or leave?

[SireeDubs]

I have a full, capped super (with two close behind) from my 3 colonies. Hurrah!

Remove it or leave it (have added empty super)?

Remove: storage is tricky, as bees live in my garden and would end up with house/garage/shed full of robbers. Also, I'd rather not extract just one, as it seems more economical to do all full supers in one go at end of season.

So I'm thinking leave it on. Will it remain capped or might it be raided? There are two supers below it. Can I clear it and put crown board below it, hence use hive itself as storage? Are there any downsides to this?

Thanks.

 

[MartinL]

Either extract it or leave it on.

If you think it's going to be robbed, take the necessary preventative measures now.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

just leave it on until ready for extraction - any other idea is just a bit daft.

 

[Poly Hive]

Dilemma ain't it just.

I am going to assume from lack of info you have you say three colonies and I am supposing you have 6 supers? Of course you might want to ponder the wisdom of having three per colony but no doubt you will for next year. So... You have one full, two getting close and it is not yet August so still a good chance for more but oh dear no space.

No brainer matey, get messy and make the room you need.

When one has been extracting at 3am to put supers on at 10am then ...........lesson learnt!!!!!!

PH

 

[Swarm]

Dilemma ain't it just.

I am going to assume from lack of info you have you say three colonies and I am supposing you have 6 supers? Of course you might want to ponder the wisdom of having three per colony but no doubt you will for next year. So... You have one full, two getting close and it is not yet August so still a good chance for more but oh dear no space.

No brainer matey, get messy and make the room you need.

When one has been extracting at 3am to put supers on at 10am then ...........lesson learnt!!!!!!

PH

One extraction per season is great if you have plenty of supers, the bees can look after it better than you. When flows are good, getting them off, extracted and back on is the name of the game.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I am going to assume from lack of info you have you say three colonies and I am supposing you have 6 supers?

PH

One extraction per season is great if you have plenty of supers, the bees can look after it better than you. When flows are good, getting them off, extracted and back on is the name of the game.

A bit more careful reading and not assumption is needed here I think. OP doesn't say he's short of room, the 'dilema' seems to be whether to take off the super and store it somewhere or just leave it on with the rest

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Leave it on.

The less we mess with bees (sorry, "bee's" - house style) the better.
They know what they're doing.

And it's gratifying to see a tower block in your apiary.

But, remember, put new supers under fuller supers.
And you may need help to lift them off for inspections.

Dusty.

 

[pargyle]

Leave it on.

The less we mess with bees (sorry, "bee's" - house style) the better.
They know what they're doing.

And it's gratifying to see a tower block in your apiary.

But, remember, put new supers under fuller supers.
And you may need help to lift them off for inspections.

Dusty.

+1 - This is the best advice.

Better to buy and make up another couple of supers if you don't have enough than muck the bees about.

Save all the extraction for one massive (hopefully) go at it - I inevitably make a mess and 'er indoors is none too pleased so - one set of earache is enough for me and the clean-up for just one or two supers is not great either ! You lose the same amount of honey in the clean up for one super or ten so better let the bees keep it until you are ready.

 

[Swarm]

Two schools of thought regarding adding supers, top or bottom. I certainly wouldn't put cut comb supers below the rest.
I'd also rather give them a box of extracted comb to fill than a box of foundation.

 

[blackie]

Leave on good weather for a while

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I certainly wouldn't put cut comb supers below the rest.

surefire way of getting loads of pollen stuffed in there - I always leave one super between the brood and cut comb box.

 

[YorkshireBees]

Depending on your remaining kit available (Supers - Foundation or drawn comb) you may want to consider more than one extraction run.

Extracted supers returned to hives will fill a lot faster than putting a super on of foundation and in my mind is a no-brainer unless you prefer to get more frames drawn!?

I currently have a hell of a lot of supers on my hives and will do an extraction run next weekend so long as I have enough capped supers. I couldn't possibly (and wouldn't want to ) try and extract all of my supers at once!

 

[SireeDubs]

...for all the replies.

I've left the super on as just seemed logical, and have not (yet!) run out of boxes. After a completely dire year last year, I'm just delighted to be getting anything (fingers crossed!). Has been slow start since spring, haven't seen so much bramble so late, but they're working it hard!

 

[Ely]

As seen as you are new, it may need pointing out that if it were earlier in the season and your bees had been working oil seed ****, then you wouldn't want to leave any supers for too long due to granulation. Extract the spring harvest, get it out of the way ready for the summer flow.

 

[Eyeman]

And it's gratifying to see a tower block in your apiary.

Not when you have to lift them off each time you inspect.
I will always try to clear the top super when I'm putting on the 4th empty super. It's usually possible to jiggle around the center frames of the top 3 supers to create a super that has ripe / capped frames of honey.
I store my supers till end Aug / sept when I do all my extracting. May be I'm lucky as I don't have problems with granulating combs.

 

[Cussword]

Remember, put new supers under fuller supers.Dusty.

Two schools of thought regarding adding supers, top or bottom. I certainly wouldn't put cut comb supers below the rest.

If all you have is foundation, which way do you go, above, or below?

I can't believe I have hives that need two supers.

Let's hope it lasts

.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

doesn't really matter - but I'd put mine under

 

[Swarm]

Not when you have to lift them off each time you inspect.
I will always try to clear the top super when I'm putting on the 4th empty super. It's usually possible to jiggle around the center frames of the top 3 supers to create a super that has ripe / capped frames of honey.
I store my supers till end Aug / sept when I do all my extracting. May be I'm lucky as I don't have problems with granulating combs.

Nothing gratifying about a back strain.

Cussword,
In that situation I'd put it below. Once you have comb to offer them you'll see a massive difference.

 

[Obee1]

I've been jiggling frames around to get some frames off and extracted whilst giving some foundation to get more drawn combs. Being a newish beek who is expanding the number of colonies this year I really need more drawn combs - but giving the bees extracted frames increases my honey crop.

Must agree that deconstructing a tower of supers is a real pain - but admiring my buckets of honey makes up for it.

Ive been adding the new supers (a mix of extracted frames and foundation) one below the top super. I have a few colonies with four supers now

 

[Swarm]

But that's the point, you'll still have the honey and the extracted ones going back will fill much quicker than a super of foundation.