when to add supers

[Andre cardona]

I'm sure my bees are on the osr just down the road can I add a super
Question two: Hives have lots of stores can I leave one frame and remove the rest? As I don't want fondant honey.... TIA

 

[thedaidai]

How many frames of brood (not bees) are they on?.
If much less than 8, adding a super will add more space for the bees to have to heat so may cause more harm than good. You could remove a frame or two of stores and replace with foundation to give her majesty room to lay then add the super when on 8 frames of brood.

 

[Winker]

I'm sure my bees are on the osr just down the road can I add a super
Question two: Hives have lots of stores can I leave one frame and remove the rest? As I don't want fondant honey.... TIA

The OSR is not in bloom in bedofrdshire yet, another 2-3 weeks i would say. You would want a mininum of 7 frames of brood before you super up and i would leave at least 3 full frames of food in there not just one.

Sorry for a short answer running out of time here.

 

[masterBK]

when to super

Too many beekeepers delay too long before supering and end up with swarming problems a few weeks later. Supers are to give bees extra room not just for storing honey. Best to put on super when bees occupy 8 seams. There is actually no real harm in supering early (I add the first super after completing spring inspection) but if you are worried put a crownboard (with feed hole open) between excluder and super with another crownboard above super. They can then expand into the super when they want. When you see bees occupying the super then remove the intermediate crownboard. Subsequent supers are added when previous one half full of bees (whether there is honey in the combs or not).

 

[Arfermo]

Too many beekeepers delay too long before supering and end up with swarming problems a few weeks later. Supers are to give bees extra room not just for storing honey. Best to put on super when bees occupy 8 seams. There is actually no real harm in supering early (I add the first super after completing spring inspection) but if you are worried put a crownboard (with feed hole open) between excluder and super with another crownboard above super. They can then expand into the super when they want. When you see bees occupying the super then remove the intermediate crownboard. Subsequent supers are added when previous one half full of bees (whether there is honey in the combs or not).

Precisely

I've had a super on one hive for nearly a month and they are using it very well. Don't delay - the weather is in the bees favour.

 

[Jaytee]

Mine have had a super for 2 weeks and it's already half full. Bees across 10 frames, 6 filled with brood on both sides; they're busily moving stores upstairs to make more room in BB. It's been very warm here and there's definitely an early flow on at the moment; oil seed rape just coming into flower. First drone cells being drawn out but not laid in yet so regular inspections from now on. Our club swarm collector had his first call out a couple of weeks ago! Really happy so far.

 

[freethorpe bees]

I have put supers on both my hives at home today. I can't believe how quickly they have built up in the last week. Brood on six/seven frames so running out of room fast!

 

[Andre cardona]

View attachment 6008 in bloom

 

[Andre cardona]

Thanks all I'll be supering this weekend. Cheers

 

[Winker]

View attachment 6008 in bloom

I had a drive around the whole shire 4 days ago on me motorbike looking to see if any was in bloom and i didnt see a drop. You have a hiden stash there