Supers: How many is too many?

[JohnRoss]

HI I Just added two supers to a hive which has two BB and three supers on it already. It is turning into a bit of a sky scraper. The brood nest covers all the frames in the middle of the bottom two brood boxes and the lower third of the first super. the rest of the first super is capped honey which I can't remove yet untill the brood emerges. The next supper is jammed full but only about half of the honey is sealed, the next one up is jammed full too but again not all sealed. The honey is still in full flow so I stuck on too more because the colony has a huge workforce. Both brood boxes are very heavy as is each super above. I think I should probably add some ropes to stableise it in case of a gust of wind when these thunder storms which are promised come along.

 

[Elaine]

If you test the honey in the full supers, and the water content is OK - then you could extract - save the bees the task of capping it! We took off 20+ frames over the weekend, almost all un-capped, and all of which was 17-18% water, or less - so fien for extracting

 

[eleanor20]

You could take the full frames out of the brood super and replace them with empty frames. Just hope your stand is well build and stands on solid ground!

 

[Skyhook]

Sounds like a handful to inspect. If it's in an exposed spot then the ropes might be a good idea- also, I hope its on a strong stand or base.

First, I would get a Queen excluder on, I'm not sure why you haven't got one already. If the brood is only on the middle frames then they don't need to be laying in the supers. I would put the QE on top of the brood boxes otherwise they will re-lay the supers as the brood emerges- just make sure the queen is below.

The next point to note is that supers don't just hold honey, they hold bees as well. The rule is to add another super when the previous supers are full of bees. Therefore, if the whole hive is full of bees, keep adding supers. If not, you can take some off and extract them.

Also bear in mind you don't have to take whole supers, you can go through the supers taking the frames that are ready and reducing down- you may well find 20 capped frames you can take, meaning 2 supers less.


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[Finman]

HI I Just added two supers to a hive which has two BB and three supers on it already. .

2 BB + 5 supers = 7 boxes.

That sounds good hive. But it is not a skyscaper. Just normal good hive.

9-11 boxes are quite bad to nurse.

I use to unite weak hive to make those 7 box hives for main yield.

Big hives have bigger tencency to swarm, but they are superior in honey making. But finally the good yield depends on good pastures.

Swarming can be handled.
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[JohnRoss]

It definately is a handful to inspect, I havn't seen the queen in a while there are just so many bees.

A note on the queen excluder. This is my only colony, I was left beeless after the winter so this was a nuc in April. I left the queen excluder off to try to build up the numbers as much as I could. I intend to split it in the next week or to into tow broodboxes and a nuc.

I would also add that I like the colony and the way it has developed. I might not use a queen excluder nest year. It might also be the weather but this colony has multiplied better and produced more honey than any I have had before.

 

[Beauhawk]

I think I should probably add some ropes to stableise it in case of a gust of wind when these thunder storms which are promised come along.

Sounds like you need to look at the foundations as well!

BTW, what stock is your Queen from? I am looking to split a colony later and may buy in a Queen for the first time.

 

[Finman]

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A note on the queen excluder. This is my only colony, I was left beeless after the winter so this was a nuc in April..

That's the way.

Buy a new queen now and make a nuc.

First put there a frame of emerging bees, comb with some food and a foundation. With that you get a queen to lay. After a week it is full of brood.

Then add again emerging bees without other bees. With 3 brood frames you get almost one box full of bees.

When yield is over, you may split the whole big hive with AS and you have two good hives for autumn. You even some brood frames between hives and so.



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