OSR and empty supers

[simonforeman]

In my 3 years I have never had 4 supers on a hive at this time of the year, I currently have 3 hives that are now filling their 4th
The OSR is now losing its colour and I think by end of next week it will of turned green. Question is do I return all 4 empty supers to the hives or just maybe 2? There are allot of bees so may well need the space but will take them a while to refill.

 

[masterBK]

Best not to take all four supers off at one time as it leaves them congested. Suggest you clear two off each and extract them and give them back under other two which you clear and extract and when you give these back do it over crown board (with feedhole open) so they can lick them dry.

 

[WoodenBeam]

If any of the supers are capped don’t wait pull off now, bit of a pain doing individually but easier to extract while liquid than set. Extracted super can then go back on as suggested.

 

[simonforeman]

If any of the supers are capped don’t wait pull off now, bit of a pain doing individually but easier to extract while liquid than set. Extracted super can then go back on as suggested.

At the moment all supers are not capped apart from around 1cm at the top of each frame. I aim to do the shake test at the weekend as by then the osr will be over. Hawthorn is out all over here so will be having a look early morning before they start putting unripe nectar on top of what's in there.

The super frames are spaced at 10 per box and I could hardly lift each box they were so heavy.

 

[drex]

Bees do not instantly change from one nectar source to another, as one source wanes they will gradually switch to a more profitable source, so you will have a mix of ripe and unripe unless the cells are full and about to be capped. Get a refractometer . Even removing frames first thing in morning, I still find they can contain unripe nectar.
I do the shake test at the apiary, then check with refractometer in extraction room. Extract into buckets. Check water content of each bucket, after stirring well, and may then blend a high water content bucket with a low one