Super under or over?

[sharonh]

I have a super with frames of store that I want to give one of my hive. They have lots of room in bb so should I put it under the bb for bees to bring up? I want to remove the super for next year. If put under, will the queen lay in it? How long do I leave it under them & do I put q- excluder on top. Or do I put it on top of bb?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I normally put an unfinished super underneath the colony in the early autumn and they move the stores up into the brood box. The super can be left on empty over winter.
Putting a super over a top board with a much reduced feeder hole is supposed to encourage the bees to "rob" it down into the brood box. I have never tried it but a lot on here swear by it

PS no excluder and NO she shouldn't lay there this time of year

 

[sharonh]

Ok and what about the queen, will she lay in it or do I put a q- excluder on top ? How long do I leave it under hive?

 

[sharonh]

No excluder ok. So how long do I leave super under?

 

[Erichalfbee]

As I said I leave an "under shallow" on all winter. It does no harm and can be lifted off the floor when you do your spring inspection by which time it will be empty

 

[sharonh]

Thank you so much, that's my next job so