Latest to remove Supers?

[Brigsy]

Hi,

I currently have two supers on one hive. The bottom one has quite a few frames at two thirds sealed, the top is not really capped at all. On my other newish colony the super is no where near sealing yet.

When would be the latest to remove? In both cases the colony's stores are mainly in the supers so if I take them I will need to start feeding but don't want to leave it too late.

Any thoughts?

Brigsy

 

[REDWOOD]

We are still in August and around here we still have a few weeks of foraging left, I usually remove supers just before the Ivy starts flowering which can vary each year and apiary location

 

[Brigsy]

Thanks. Does that give you enough time to get ready for winter?

 

[Heather]

Any half filled super can be put under the brood box in Sept ready for ivy stores and winter hive formation.
Then in Spring this super should be empty with queen up in brood box ready to start again..AND NO QUEEN EXCLUDERS IN-BETWEEN THESE 2 BOXES

 

[Teebeeaitch]

I only harvest once a year and it's always around August Bank Holiday, so I think you have plenty of time. I don't have to do anything at all for the winter, they manage fine by themselves on that ivy.

 

[Heather]

Be aware. mass of ivy can set solid in the hive. I have seen bees starve on adequate stores when they didn't get out for water to reduce it.Hefted-- it felt good.
Personally I feed as well to mix syrup with ivy ..gives me peace of mind

 

[For want of a better word]

Before you apply your Autumn treatments for Varroa and feed 2;1 or invert with Thymol additive.

Bees would probably starve over Winter if just left with a meagre amount of ivy honey stores... do not suppose they could get 18 +_kilos in!!

Yeghes da

 

[Erichalfbee]

Any half filled super can be put under the brood box in Sept ready for ivy stores and winter hive formation.
Then in Spring this super should be empty with queen up in brood box ready to start again..AND NO QUEEN EXCLUDERS IN-BETWEEN THESE 2 BOXES

Ditto

 

[Brigsy]

A downside to my Paynes poly. Due to some cleats on the floor I can't do that. I can use a shim underneath but that may make space they don't want.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes that's why I abandoned mine in favour of just the brood box on a home made wooden floor. Stan made me a uniting crownboard so that I don't need to move the bees into a full size box. In fact I have now abandoned even the Paynes with that bloomin' feeder and gone over to Maisie's

 

[Swarm]

A downside to my Paynes poly. Due to some cleats on the floor I can't do that. I can use a shim underneath but that may make space they don't want.

Cut them off.
Better still, make your own floor, theirs is just big and clumsy.

 

[Truble]

A downside to my Paynes poly. Due to some cleats on the floor I can't do that. I can use a shim underneath but that may make space they don't want.

3 solutions.
a) Cut the cleats/lugs off the floor takes about a minute..
b) Cut recesses on the corner edges of the supers to fit on the floor. Takes about 5-6 minutes per super with a craft knife.
c) Stick super above brood box without QX. No time at all.

 

[Brigsy]

I was hoping to get the honey for me!

 

[Brigsy]

So, if I take what I can from the super that is nearly ready and deal with the lugs to place the half full below the brood box, my winter set up will be super, brood box, brood half, roof.

Is that ok or too much space?

 

[Erichalfbee]

So, if I take what I can from the super that is nearly ready and deal with the lugs to place the half full below the brood box, my winter set up will be super, brood box, brood half, roof.

Is that ok or too much space?

Brood and a half is ok and the shallow under is neither here nor there. It will be empty on the Spring, likely. At a tangent...... Do you have a regular wooden super? If you do then that will sit between a Paynes brood and a Paynes floor without removing ang lugs

 

[beeno]

Be aware. mass of ivy can set solid in the hive. I have seen bees starve on adequate stores when they didn't get out for water to reduce it.Hefted-- it felt good.
Personally I feed as well to mix syrup with ivy ..gives me peace of mind

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Remove the supers!

Good grief! It's only August 13th!

My bees have just found some balsam today.
I won't take my supers off for another month.
Then there's plenty of time to treat for varroa and feed them up for winter.

Dusty.

 

[Brigsy]

Thanks people. And yes, Ericha I do. That's a good tip.

 

[chrisb]

If I try and remove supers id end up like Dusty's avatar
dont know where they foraging but they are flying thick and fast all day and plenty of pollen, more then I have seen this year.

They have also got into there top gear for sticking everything together.

 

[Erichalfbee]

dont know where they foraging but they are flying thick and fast all day and plenty of pollen, more then I have seen this year.

.

Mine too....
I haven't looked in a couple of the broods for nearly a month now.....Full of pollen, I guess.
Tomorrow will tell