Time for a super?

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manek

House Bee
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BeeKeeping Supporter
Joined
Jul 19, 2015
Messages
349
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Location
Lewes, East Sussex
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
3
Today's inspection of my one NS hive: eggs and larvae at all stages seen, one empty uncapped queen cell on a stores frames next to a brood frame, four brood frames, two of undrawn foundation at the front of the hive, two half-drawn, rest are stores. Is it time for a super, given that they don't seem to want to draw the front two frames? Or is it too early to say?

Thanks.
 
I was taught by very experienced beekeeper, to add next box when the bees are well covering 8 frames, the " well covering" is important, not just a few bees scattered on the outermost frames. In a brood box that is likely to be 8 frames of brood. Added the first supers to majority of my production colonies this morning. Rape and blackthorn in flower and starting to backfill in the brood nest.
 
From your description the colony hasn't developed its brood nest, with 4 frames undrawn foundation/ part drawn and rest stores. So how many frames with brood are there in the hive?
Perhaps swap any frames of brood with a frame of undrawn foundation so the foundation is on the outside of the pollen/ brood area and keep them warm with plenty of insulation on top.
Adding supers this time of year also depends on whether you are using drawn comb or foundation in the super. You need to see evidence of them starting to produce new wax (wax scales on the inspection board or white wax on the woodwork inside the hive) before they will start drawing out foundation.
Some of mine now have 3 supers above the newly installed QE, the super which was left on over winter which is now full and 2 supers with drawn comb. I want the colonies to move any honey out of the brood area ASAP so as not to slow down the queen's laying. In addition frames of stores in the brood area are replaced with drawn comb. With any luck this will delay any swarming preps until after the imminent spring flow.
 
There is wax on the Correx board under the OMF so they do seem to be making it. There are four frames of brood - OP for full description.
 
They need to grow a little more. Brood on four frames is different from 4 frames of brood.
I'm with Poly Hive. I super on 8 frames (maybe 7 if they are in a 10 frame box) and I did 2 today
 

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