Lifting off supers
- Thread starter Roola
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Had a scary moment yesterday, lifting an almost capped super to the top of the stack and replacing a new super underneath. Had to stand on the end of the hive stand. I'm going to invest in a sturdy 'something', as a step. Getting the super off is easier than getting it back on I've found. I wish those bees would get on and cap the combs!
OP
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agree, my second super is pretty much done, they have capped around outside and just a little way to go! cmon girls!
MJBee
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I have two "tower blocks" that are bringing in nectar faster than the house bees can process it into honey and cap it. They have given me 2 full supers each already, and still have 4 full supers. They need another empty super but without step ladders the tower is just too high
The last super I gave them was an 11 frame box of foundation - they drew it out and filled it in a week.
Please ladies get capping, the extractor is standing by.
The last super I gave them was an 11 frame box of foundation - they drew it out and filled it in a week.
Please ladies get capping, the extractor is standing by.
jd101k2000
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How to get the attention of your bees
Was just going to lift some supers.
Had just checked one hive... fine - the ladies have been putting their caps on.
Then I opened the other hive and saw a wax moth on the crown board. Had a couple of swats and got the dirty rascal. Started to move the crown board and heard that the inhabitants were not chuffed. Growling is not quite the right word. It's not entirely wrong, either!
In other words... how NOT to lift off supers.
Put everything together and retreated until tomorrow.
Oh the mistakes a beginner makes!
Was just going to lift some supers.
Had just checked one hive... fine - the ladies have been putting their caps on.
Then I opened the other hive and saw a wax moth on the crown board. Had a couple of swats and got the dirty rascal. Started to move the crown board and heard that the inhabitants were not chuffed. Growling is not quite the right word. It's not entirely wrong, either!
In other words... how NOT to lift off supers.
Put everything together and retreated until tomorrow.
Oh the mistakes a beginner makes!
busybee53
Field Bee
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Best option - a volunteer helper
2nd best - a person who has had their arm twisted a bit
3rd best - move a few frames at a time into a spare super until the one you want to move is light enough.
Alternative method: swap the frames around between supers. The middle ones generally get capped first so you could make up one or even two supers which can be taken for extraction leaving all the uncapped frames in the remaining super(s). Makes the stack shorter and lighter. You just have to put up with the mess extraction can make more often. You also learn not to make so much mess.
2nd best - a person who has had their arm twisted a bit
3rd best - move a few frames at a time into a spare super until the one you want to move is light enough.
Alternative method: swap the frames around between supers. The middle ones generally get capped first so you could make up one or even two supers which can be taken for extraction leaving all the uncapped frames in the remaining super(s). Makes the stack shorter and lighter. You just have to put up with the mess extraction can make more often. You also learn not to make so much mess.
itma
Queen Bee
I've started using a wedge when replacing full (heavy) poly (wide-walled) supers - with the aim of minimising those awful crunching noises.
