Second super time

[the naked beekeeper]

First super is newly drawn, filled and ready soon for capping.

Time for a second super?!?
I think it's important to keep ahead of them, so I'm not going to wait for them to start capping it.

I'm so pleased as this year will be the first honey I've ever had from my bees. (Been expanding for 2 years).

 

[richardbees]

YES

I don't 'extract' my honey but scrape it off, so all my supers start with undrawn foundation. The next super goes on when the first is mostly drawn and the centre filled.

Giving the hive bees lots to do keeps them occupied and delays any swarming activity.

richard

 

[BobsBees]

Very quick

Wow thats quick naked, when did you stop feeding. I have supers on all my hives, (wet from last year) but nowhere near being filled as yet.
S/E Cornwall must be well ahead of even us here in Kent.
Well done, I bet the honey will be good too.
Bob.

 

[the naked beekeeper]

Yeah, I'm hoping the honey will be good!! It sure looks it. Maybe dandelion??

I don't feed my bees.
That's the whole reason they make honey!

 

[merylvingien]

Two of mine had the first super on a week ago monday i think. Anyway, this monday both were fully drawn and filled, and just starting to be capped, so second supers have gone on both. The shitty lot have only started drawing the middle frames of the first super which was put on at the same time as the others.

 

[Onge]

Yeah, I'm hoping the honey will be good!! It sure looks it. Maybe dandelion??

I don't feed my bees.
That's the whole reason they make honey!

Don't feed them unless there starving and this will rarely happen if you leave enough for them in the first place.

First super drawn and currently being filled. Will stick on another next week.

 

[Finman]

.
The first reason to add supers is that colony crows. Even if you have not a drop honey you need more space.

Rape may give so much honey in a week, that it fills the brood area. Soon the hive starts swarming.

If you get one box capped honey, you need 2 boxes MORE, where bees dry upp the nectar.

If you play the game so that bees cap the super first and then aff second box, bees must use brood combs as nectar store. Brooding will go down and the colony swarm soon, sometimes without warning.

Even if the colony do not swarm, it will weaken because laying area is too small.

 

[Finman]

.
If you have a situation that you have in the brood box 5 frames brood and 5 frames filled with nectar, lift those honey frames over the excluder and the foundations or empty combs.

Then give laying space to brood area, at least 2 foundations and 3 combs.

Foundation drawing hinders swarming, but if there is allready queen cells, don't give foundations.

 

[Finman]

.
If you are not sure, how much to add space on rape field, you may give a super on, but you may add another box of foundations under the brood box. Like in nature, bees enlarge the combs downwards, but it does not make heat loss in the hive.

Rape field is a good opportunity to draw foundations.