The right time to add supers

[Tomherrick1987]

Morning all,

Its my first post on here so thanks for all of your advice in advance.

I have 2 strong colonies of buckfast bees in newark, nottinghamshire. Ive removed 3 full supers from each 2 weeks ago and spun around 75lb of **** honey. After a hive inspection yesterday each super in both hives are 3/4 with nectar and is around 1/2 capped with honey. With the june gap typically poorer in nectar flow and is due shortly do i leave the 3 supers as they are and allow for all of the space to be maximised or do i look to adding an additional fresh super now in readiness.

Please advise,

Thanks.
Tom.

 

[mbc]

Morning all,

Its my first post on here so thanks for all of your advice in advance.

I have 2 strong colonies of buckfast bees in newark, nottinghamshire. Ive removed 3 full supers from each 2 weeks ago and spun around 75lb of **** honey. After a hive inspection yesterday each super in both hives are 3/4 with nectar and is around 1/2 capped with honey. With the june gap typically poorer in nectar flow and is due shortly do i leave the 3 supers as they are and allow for all of the space to be maximised or do i look to adding an additional fresh super now in readiness.

Please advise,

Thanks.
Tom.

I saw bramble flowering yesterday, what june gap?
My take on supering is to stay well ahead of their needs for the early part of the season then sometime after the summer solstice worry less about staying ahead of their space requirements.

 

[protheroe]

Bramble started to flower by me too so I think we are going to miss the June gap this year.

 

[Finman]

.
Normally supers should be added according the number of bees. Boxes must be in the hive enough, even if the hives does not get honey.

If you get one box capped honey, you must have 2 more boxes, where bees store nectar to rippen.

When honey has been capped, it is better to extract and return empty combs over the brood frames.

If you keep bees too tight, it adds swarming. Too much honey, and not place to nectar, accelerate swarming too.

Normal hives swarm however despite what you do. Keep AS material ready.
.

 

[Swarm]

I saw bramble flowering yesterday, what june gap?
My take on supering is to stay well ahead of their needs for the early part of the season then sometime after the summer solstice worry less about staying ahead of their space requirements.

 

[enrico]

Too much room is better than too little!

 

[Finman]

Too much room is better than too little!

IT sure is!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Bramble started to flower by me too so I think we are going to miss the June gap this year.

Better start making up my spare supers then - down to my last fifty already

 

[Tomherrick1987]

Thanks for your help folks!

 

[mbc]

Better start making up my spare supers then - down to my last fifty already

I've got the kids making up super frames over half term, all the supers on the farm are out on hives barring the fifty I'm extracting now from the osr ready to go back on. I hope this goes on, this spot of moisture will help but ideally we need long clear warm days for the next month and a half with frequent evening showers
(Followed by a week of heavy rain preceding a warm humid end of July beginning of August on th heather moor). All a bit fanciful but we live in hope.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Lucky you snaffled up all those cheap honey jars at the TBKA auction then (the ones that Peter didn't beat you to )