Supers back on or left off after honey spun off?

[King Scavenger]

Hi all. Yes!! Its me again. On the next sunny day I am going to take my supers off and spin the honey off. I have 4 hives with 3 full supers on and 4 , this year's hives, with 1 super on. The question is......do I return the empty supers or not?

 

[Zante]

Just for long enough for the bees to clean the combs of what little left over honey there is and store it in the brood box for winter. Then I'd remove them to reduce the empty space they have to heat up in winter.

... unless you have a really strong late flow and you think you can get more honey, but remember they need some for themselves.

 

[Swarm]

Too much faff, just bag them and stack them.

 

[King Scavenger]

Just for long enough for the bees to clean the combs of what little left over honey there is and store it in the brood box for winter. Then I'd remove them to reduce the empty space they have to heat up in winter.

... unless you have a really strong late flow and you think you can get more honey, but remember they need some for themselves.

That's what I was thinking. I will check when I take them off.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Too much faff, just bag them and stack them.

Same here

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Too much faff, just bag them and stack them.

Bit of a nonense giving them back to the bees 'to clean them' either sal them up in a bag or strap them up tightly with a board each end so nothing can get in and you're done - storing them 'wet' also discourages waxmoth

 

[Zante]

storing them 'wet' also discourages waxmoth

Really? I would have thought the opposite. How does that work?

 

[Curley]

On a different tack, is there enough room for the bees if you reduce down from four supers to none?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Really? I would have thought the opposite. How does that work?

for one, the smell of honey masks that of the wax

 

[Swarm]

I simply couldn't be doing with hassle taking them off, putting them back, taking them off and the end result isn't worth it.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I simply couldn't be doing with hassle taking them off, putting them back, taking them off and the end result isn't worth it.

Should be stuffed into room 101 together with 'spring cleaning' the hive!!

 

[beeno]

On a different tack, is there enough room for the bees if you reduce down from four supers to none?

Possibly not and I would not take a chance as you may induce late swarming.

 

[For want of a better word]

Possibly not and I would not take a chance as you may induce late swarming.

Must be a cut and paste thing from some book on fastbuck beekeeping?



Nos da

 

[daroco]

I've been quite interested in this thread, as I have been giving mine back to get cleaned up before storing them. I thought I was doing the bees a favour by letting them take back some of their hard won honey and hopefully reducing the need to feed them to prepare their winter stores. One question though about storing them wet - when the honey left ferments, does it leave a taint that can be detected in the spring honey?

 

[The Drone Ranger]

If your super combs have had brood in them at any time then they will be a target for wax moth wet or dry


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[Curley]

Must be a cut and paste thing from some book on fastbuck beekeeping?



Nos da

Well without wishing to start a flame war, the reason I questioned reducing from four supers to none in one step it was that I had experienced just that - late season swarming - as beeno suggests. And while it seems to be a popular pastime having a swipe at beeno, on this occasion he makes a valid and helpful point.

 

[Tremyfro]

If your super combs have had brood in them at any time then they will be a target for wax moth wet or dry


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I didn't know that. The first year we returned the supers to the hives...and got majorly stung for it. Last year we kept them off and sprayed them with Certan. We didn't get any wax moth at all. So we will do the same this year. We stored the frames in the supers on a floor with a board under and over them.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

One question though about storing them wet - when the honey left ferments, does it leave a taint that can be detected in the spring honey?

No, none at all

 

[Eyeman]

If your super combs have had brood in them at any time then they will be a target for wax moth wet or dry

Wax moth will also target super combs that have pollen in them.

 

[Cussword]

And while it seems to be a popular pastime having a swipe at beeno, on this occasion HE makes a valid and helpful point.

Well, YOU may have offended HER more.