Keeping supers on all year

[CaptainCymru]

Does anyone leave the supers on all year ? Example , take off the supers from above the brood box and QE end of year , extract then nadir all said supers under the box until weather is warm again in spring , then reverse to put all supers back above? Logic being the honey not extracted gets cleaned up , the brood nest is up above and away from drafts and the queen has masses of laying space come the spring expansion again.What are the cons of this , I can only think of potential for wax moth in the lower boxes .

 

[Frizzaldo]

taller top heavy hives in windy winter months might be more likely to topple

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

robbing as soon as you nadir all those wet frames

 

[CaptainCymru]

robbing as soon as you nadir all those wet frames

could you reduce the entrance down to counter that?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

could you reduce the entrance down to counter that?

why not just store them wet cinched up with a blank board top and bottom and covered with a spare roof.
To be blunt I think storing all the supers underneath the brood box (wet or dry) is a bit of a daft idea. one, I can accept - I often do as it sorts out any partly filled last super at the end of the season and saves me going back to get the cleaned up ones - plus I do not like storing dry supers if I can help it

 

[drex]

And also all that unnecessary foot traffic going over the super frames will soon turn them manky.

 

[TomH]

Does storing supers wet make them less susceptible to wax moth?

 

[CaptainCymru]

And also all that unnecessary foot traffic going over the super frames will soon turn them manky.

hadn’t thought of that

 

[enrico]

hadn’t thought of that

Spiders, slugs, mould, I wouldn't!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Does storing supers wet make them less susceptible to wax moth?

It does for me

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Does storing supers wet make them less susceptible to wax moth?

IMHO it does, even had old brood frames stored wet left untouched for two years

 

[elainemary]

Does anyone leave the supers on all year ? Example , take off the supers from above the brood box and QE end of year , extract then nadir all said supers under the box until weather is warm again in spring , then reverse to put all supers back above? Logic being the honey not extracted gets cleaned up , the brood nest is up above and away from drafts and the queen has masses of laying space come the spring expansion again.What are the cons of this , I can only think of potential for wax moth in the lower boxes .

I’ve done this last 4 seasons, first season as a beginner I left above and had colony deaths (isolation starvation and my lack of know - how on other areas).

Positives:
-Supers come off clean as a whistle, bees clear out and repair comb. They usually move stores up quickly into brood box. Occasionally if they had plenty of stores in BB they will consume later and I have had odd frames of surplus stores in spring, I mark and save these for a dearth
-Extra insulation against drafts as you suggest
-Easy to remove any varroa strips in brood box in autumn. I vape from above the brood box using an eke in winter
-Easy to see what bees are doing through clear crown board

Negatives
-Only had one incidence of queen laying in super below on one frame only
-Timing the spring reversing right, but offset by not having to look for / find and remove queen in super

Never had an incidence of robbing, but I do usually have varroa trays in looking at mite drops at this time and entrances are small, so this could help re scent. I nadir mid September before gets cold

Never seen a slug or any dross in the super. Here’s one from last week, I posted on another thread. As above re timing it right, haven’t seen issues with foot traffic but I do reverse by mid April, have to judge re weather and forecast

 

[ericbeaumont]

supers on all year ?

No matter how close the boxes fit, rain gets in; outcome is mouldy combs.

 

[enrico]

Wish I had taken a photo of my nadired super. The bees had been running a gauntlet with a GIANT spider! And mouldy comb ! Just melted it all down over the past week in my solar melter.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Leaving one super on is one thing but three or four ?

 

[Arfermo]

Wish I had taken a photo of my nadired super. The bees had been running a gauntlet with a GIANT spider! And mouldy comb ! Just melted it all down over the past week in my solar melter.

Noticed your mention of' mouldy comb' - never had it before but this year bad enough to need to replace about 3 brood frames with drawn wet ones in two hives. Unusual for me.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

i know a friend who stores them above closed CB and under roof, wet....so no access for bees but stored on hive....need to strap down etc because of wind

 

[manek]

Does anyone leave the supers on all year ? Example , take off the supers from above the brood box and QE end of year , extract then nadir all said supers under the box until weather is warm again in spring , then reverse to put all supers back above? Logic being the honey not extracted gets cleaned up , the brood nest is up above and away from drafts and the queen has masses of laying space come the spring expansion again.What are the cons of this , I can only think of potential for wax moth in the lower boxes .

Yes, I do this, have done this and last winter, no problems.

 

[madasafish]

I recall a talk form a BI who went to his apiary in Ireland in January, set up all hives with supers on. Returned in August for mass extraction.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Never seen a slug or any dross in the super

he's not talking about nadiring just one shallow but stacking the whole lot under the brood box for the whole winter