How many supers?

[MrPea]

In trying to prevent a swarm we put a super on, but at the rate this lot are going they're going to outgrow that in a week too. How many supers do you keep going with...and is it enough to just replace the super frames with empty frames?

 

[CB008]

In trying to prevent a swarm we put a super on, but at the rate this lot are going they're going to outgrow that in a week too. How many supers do you keep going with...and is it enough to just replace the super frames with empty frames?

It all depends on how much and how fast they are bringing nectar in. If you have OSR close by then they can fill a super in days. What also matters is the number of frames of brood in the BB. If there is no room to lay in the BB the she will swarm so you may need to consider giving the Queen more brood space

 

[Cazza]

If the super is filling fast, you will need to put another one on very soon. Don't forget that bees need room to reduce the water content of the nectar and so more space is needed. Generally, if the super is full of bees, it's telling me they need another super.

Replacing full for empty won't give enough room.

Cazza (Enviously waiting to be in the same position)

 

[Finman]

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All depends on queens ability to lay and how the colony grows in spring and at the beginning of summer.

The queen needs enough space to lay. 2 langstroth boxes is normal for modern bees.

50 years ago the hive needed only 2 boxes. It is breeders fault that hives are now 3 times bigger and bring 3-5 times more honey. In good old days the hive cannot store than 15 kg honey.

FIRTS a colony needs room for expansion even if they do not get honey at all.

When a colony become in balance of brood feeding - forager amount, it is ready to make surplus. Before that all goes to expansion.

In my yard some hives need 4-5 boxes and some need 7-9 boxes.

It depends on size of colony and on nectar coming in.
If you get one box capped honey, bees need 3 boxes that they can rippen the nectar.
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[Finman]

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If bee density in upper box is even from corner to corner, it is time to add a new box.
Allways put the box between brood and previous supers.

If bee density is thicker in box corners, and less dense in centre, it tells that hive is crowded. Perhaps they need 2 supers.

When colony starts to add honey in combs, give to it fore excample 3 foundations to be drawn. It hinders swarming.

 

[MuswellMetro]

In trying to prevent a swarm we put a super on, but at the rate this lot are going they're going to outgrow that in a week too. How many supers do you keep going with...and is it enough to just replace the super frames with empty frames?

if you have a very large colony then try the old method of swarm control by placing a super of just frames with starter strips under the brood, supposedly the theory was that with space below they would not swarm (Ha Ha) but very useful to get Manleys for cut comb drawn that way

But don't keep them there too long otherwise HM will lay them up

 

[enrico]

If they are on OSR take the bottom one off as soon as it is ready for spinning.... Spin....put back on the top, that is the only way to use minimum amount of supers!

 

[Finman]

If they are on OSR take the bottom one off as soon as it is ready for spinning.... Spin....put back on the top, that is the only way to use minimum amount of supers!

and the idea was? minimize honey yield or what?

 

[Finman]

if you have a very large colony then try the old method of swarm control by placing a super of just frames with starter strips under the brood, supposedly the theory was that with space below they would not swarm (Ha Ha) but very useful to get Manleys for cut comb drawn that way

But don't keep them there too long otherwise HM will lay them up

starter trips and you get the whole box of drones.

There is no such theory "space under brood".

And the question was how to add supers.


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[enrico]

and the idea was? minimize honey yield or what?

The idea is to use supers you have available. There was a suggestion in the original post to remove a full frame and replace it with an empty frame. It is much easier to remove the full box when it is ready. As you know, with OSR it needs spinning off before it is properly capped so I find I can start removing supers before the crop has finished and replace them wet to be refilled. Not everyone has an infinite amount of equipment!
Why do you think this would minimise the yield?
E

 

[Finman]

The idea is to use supers you have available. There was a suggestion in the original post to remove a full frame and replace it with an empty frame. It is much easier to remove the full box when it is ready. As you know, with OSR it needs spinning off before it is properly capped so I find I can start removing supers before the crop has finished and replace them wet to be refilled. Not everyone has an infinite amount of equipment!
Why do you think this would minimise the yield?
E

exract honey and release super again. Yes that is normal, but exract unrippen honey to save supers is impossible.

If everyone has not enough boxes and frames, it is better to get.

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[BILL.HEARD]

If you can manage it you really need at least three supers for each colony if not more, you can never seem to have enough in a good year, in one apiary of twenty hives I averaged seven full supers per hive, that was from the clover and bramble.

 

[psafloyd]

if you have a very large colony then try the old method of swarm control by placing a super of just frames with starter strips under the brood, supposedly the theory was that with space below they would not swarm (Ha Ha) but very useful to get Manleys for cut comb drawn that way

But don't keep them there too long otherwise HM will lay them up

Isn't there a danger HM will lay up in them and then you attract the dreaded wax moth?