when to super ?

[prana vallabha]

Me and a friend are at odds at how many seams of bees before adding a super . What are your thoughts on this ......

many thanks in advance

 

[richardbees]

A poster on another thread has National with 6/7 frames of sealed brood and remaining frames full of stores/pollen. It's all a question of time of year, where you are and what you think the weather's going to do!

I would super in that situation/

 

[oliver90owner]

And I might not. Not seen another thread with that many frames of sealed brood, but I do remember a thread 'with bees over 6-7 frames and only a couple frames of brood'. A subtle difference. With that many full frames of sealed brood the queen will already have amost stopped laying in a single brood box!

I would likely be removing a frame of stores and replacing with a (preferably drawn) frame if there were 6-7 frames of BIAS. Maybe two, dependent on how much stores are in the honey arch. Just remember the inspection question: Is there enough stores to last until the next inspection?

With the current weather forecast of the hottest week this year does not impress me. An averege weekly temperature of a bit over freezing could fit that bill!! So I don't super until forage is coming in regularly.

Another factor, of course is whether supering with drawn comb or foundation. The one important thing is to keep laying space for the queen to lay - or she may soon be off.

'Seams of bees' is not a good measure until the winter bees have died off.

 

[Skyhook]

I supered one hive today. BIAS filling large parts of 6 frames, the rest full of fresh stores and pollen, and bees filling 11 frames, standing room only. I was a bit cautious about supering yet, but having heard of swarms already, I wasn't going to let them get any more congested than that.

My other hives are still some way off.

.

 

[Finman]

I was a bit cautious about supering yet, but having heard of swarms already,

.

You should nurse bees according each hive's condition and not according somebody's "heard".

Learn to read your hive's build up.

There are a little thing in the hive named "queen cells". As far as there are no things there, they do not swarm.

 

[Finman]

Me and a friend are at odds at how many seams of bees before adding a super . What are your thoughts on this ......

many thanks in advance

I use to add first enlargement under the brood box.

What happens when you add a super on the week hive?

- a heated space will 100% bigger
. heat rises up
- bees are not able to keep all brood warm

- if you look later the lower frames, you have propably lost 30% of brood.
.

 

[Skyhook]

You should nurse bees according each hive's condition and not according somebody's "heard".

Learn to read your hive's build up.

There are a little thing in the hive named "queen cells". As far as there are no things there, they do not swarm.

Yes, I know that. Hence supering the one hive that was stuffed full of bees with no space, and not the other 4.

.

 

[Finman]

Yes, I know that. Hence supering the one hive that was stuffed full of bees with no space, and not the other 4.

.

Good boy! or when I think, oh boy!

 

[Lorenz]

I have supered some of mine becaue the forecast is for more foraging weather this week, there is evidence of nectar and pollen coming in, in excess of colony need, and there were bees on all frames and at least 6 frames of brood.

I am not happy about the predicted night time temperatures though - rather cold, so I have put in a few sheets of newspaper with just a few slits in between the brood box and the super, so that the bees have the super as an option, but will not lose so much heat at night.

 

[MattC]

Like that idea. Though don't suppose 2-3 sheets of newspaper will have fantastic insulation properties (but must be better than nothing)

 

[Finman]

.
If you put a box under the brood box, heat will not escape, and
bees have space where to expand.



.

 

[yeogi75]

i have done what finnman suggests.
this week have put brood box under original brood ,still with small entrance to keep heat in,and allowing bees to get there in print of new comb and know where it is when they need it,will reverse later in summer,depends on brood and laying patterns of queen, as always you are following the queens moves.

 

[Tim.S]

All of our hives are on a brood and a half and one of them is full of bees from top to bottom all the way across the frames. Because it is so full I must admit I was thinking of splitting the boxes. Too early for that? It has not had it's spring clean yet either, although I might skip work for a few hours on Thursday as the forecast seems good for here.

 

[drstitson]

When to super? question time again.

shame polyhive no longer posts!

 

[REDWOOD]

When to super? question time again.

shame polyhive no longer posts!

totally

 

[J.M.Learner]

The weather forecast said it was going to rain next week here so what's the point supering if those stores are going to be consumed that week. I personally don't super until the bees reach the last outter frames on the brood box. I know some people have a problem with this method as they say it encourages swarming, but it works for me and i check them every week so swarm control is there. Never had a problem with it...

 

[REDWOOD]

The weather forecast said it was going to rain next week here so what's the point supering if those stores are going to be consumed that week. I personally don't super until the bees reach the last outter frames on the brood box. I know some people have a problem with this method as they say it encourages swarming, but it works for me and i check them every week so swarm control is there. Never had a problem with it...

That depends on how hard it is raining and breed of bees, dark local bees will forage in light rain (no option but for them to get out there in Wales lol)

 

[J.M.Learner]

 

[richardbees]

Tim. S

I super as soon as they have 7 brood frames and the rest filled with stores.
In my opinion A) enough heat is generated by this brood activity to support a Super on top. I also have the V. inset in..... and B) As I extract my honey by scraping into a bucket my supers only have foundation, so building comb keeps them occupied.

richard

 

[Tim.S]

Thanks Richard. A super it will be!