new frames or extra super?

[astabada]

Hi everyone,
at this time of the season I'm a bit puzzled on what to do with my big hives. All 4 of them have two supers, in which the frames are 90-100% full. What should I do? Buy an extra super for each hive or simply remove the frames that are fully capped and place new ones (I have several spare ones)?

 

[Elaine]

I always take frames out as they are ready (either capped, or water content down far enough) I just lift the frame - shake of as many bees as will leave, and put the frame into a carrying box ( a corex nuc box -or spare super) once I hev re-built the hive, I use a brush to remove the reaining bees. I don't like using a clearer board, I tried it once, and could hear all the buzzing and distress caused, and as a hobby keeper can afford the additional time iit takes to remove frames without a clearing the bees first (and my bees are docile enough to let me!)

 

[astabada]

Thanks Elaine, that is exactly what I had initially planned. Having another super full of honey would be great but I really doubt the bees will manage to fill it in a 1 month or so.

And it feels like Summer is already over! (But it's July!! )

 

[VEG]

I would put an empty super on remove the full ones and extract. You say the 2 supers are 90% full where are they going to store any nectar coming in ?

 

[astabada]

Veg, my plan is to remove the 100% capped frames and place some brand new/some empty frames. I think for the moment 1-2 new frames would be enough to store the incoming nectar.
They still have space in the brood box anyway, wich in a way is a better place to store honey for Winter, right?

 

[VEG]

You need to remember nectar takes up to 3 times the space of finished honey. If I was in your situation I would have had 4 supers on those hives. It is only July no need to worry about winter yet. If they fill the brood box the queen won't have any where to lay which may reduce the number of bees being reared.

 

[astabada]

Thanks Veg, you're probably right. I'll add another super on the strongest hive and see how it goes. In the meantime I'll remove the fully capped frames on the other hives and replace them with some empty ones.

Who knows, maybe August will be nice and warm! :-D

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I really doubt the bees will manage to fill it in a 1 month or so.

At the moment mine are filling a super a week!

 

[astabada]

At the moment mine are filling a super a week!

OH WOW!
I guess you're not keeping them in a urban area. I moved one of nucs in a semi-wild area a month ago and in two weeks they filled all 8 frames they had (3-4 with brood and the rest with honey). It was so heavy I couldn't almost lift it!
Now that they are back in my garden they're doing good but not as well as before!

 

[itma]

They will re-fill extracted (drawn, wet) frames much much more quickly than they will handle boxes of foundation ...

 

[Outlander]

OH WOW!
I guess you're not keeping them in a urban area. I moved one of nucs in a semi-wild area a month ago and in two weeks they filled all 8 frames they had (3-4 with brood and the rest with honey). It was so heavy I couldn't almost lift it!
Now that they are back in my garden they're doing good but not as well as before!

My urban hives do better than the ones out in the sticks.

 

[enrico]

In the sticks we have to rely on trees and crops, the lime is still producing but a lot slower now, then for me other than bits and pieces here and there that is about it. It still comes in but not in quantities that I was getting off the lime. It has been a good year though. 100 lbs off two hives so far and more to come!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

OH WOW!
I guess you're not keeping them in a urban area. !

Well yes.......and no 2 mile long narrrow valley moderately densely populated (about 3,000 souls) open country behind and to the West and quarter of a mile to the South heather half a mile behind so they get the best of both worlds really. Main crop is bramble, willowherb with a smattering of balsam at the end