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Author Topic: Arranging Supers  (Read 2557 times)

Offline bassman1977

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Arranging Supers
« on: March 09, 2006, 10:20:44 pm »
What is the correct method of adding SUPERS?  Last season, I just left my bees keep whatever they had because I had just started them. My newest hives will get all of what they bring in this year.   The previously mentioned older hives are putting out for me this time.  lol  

This is one thing I never really understood with all the reading I've done over the past 2 years.  

My plan is to move the filled supers up and the empty one will be the bottom most super.  I would think I would be ok to stack as many supers as I can until fall.  I would rather extract only one time if possible.

What are the thoughts of the forum?
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Offline Jack Parr

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STACKING HONEY SUPERS
« Reply #1 on: March 10, 2006, 06:54:47 am »
The question is interesting.  

I, being also a novice with one year of learning think that adding supers as needed would ensure that the filling of same, one after the other, would be better than having a stack of more supers than needed. You really can't make the bees fill one super over the other unless you restrict them. They could store nectar at random and leave you with partially filled frames scattered around the stack.  But, I dunno for sure.

I suppose that after a while of keeping bees in your area you would develop a sense of how much potential nectar the bees will gather and supply honey supers accordingly. Of course year after year will probably be different due to climatic conditions, growth of plants etc.

It's not too disruptive to the colony to just lift the covers for a peek at the honey supers and actually check the frame/cell filling progress. There is a definate possibility of not having enough supers for the surplus honey and then the bees will jam the brood area with it.

Perhaps some more experienced beeks will chime in with wiser thoughts. :wink:

Offline Finsky

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Re: STACKING HONEY SUPERS
« Reply #2 on: March 10, 2006, 07:42:36 am »
Quote from: Jack Parr

Perhaps some more experienced beeks will chime in with wiser thoughts. :wink:


It is never the same what I say with my 40 years experince. If some give some " nicer" idea, it atracts of course, does it have sence or not.

The basic to give supers are that colony expands. If you do NOT give room bees will swarm. If hive is big and it doest not get nectar it will again swarm.  And when hive is going to be too full of nectar bees swarm again.  And when hive swarms it stops foraging.

When you have a big hive before nectar flow it is like loaded cannon. It waits for weather and blooming and take that what is on the field. If flowers near hives have nectar enough  it same how good your hives are.

FIRST you must have room enough for bees and NEXT room for in coming nectar. To get one box capped honey you need 2 box more where they spread the moist nectar.

When they start to forage and the topmost box is full of honey you should add 2 box more that they have space for more honey and room where they evaporate moisture away.  You should inspect weekly how soon they fill boxes.

When I take my hives to canola field I put  4 empty box at the beginning. It depends on weather how they fill boxes. It is is moist soil and weather 20C-25C  bees bill the  6 box hive during one week. After that week I must take  3 capped box away and I give 3-4 box more. Half full boxes I lift the topmost. Bees have stock nectar in every corner of hive. When nectar is ripe they lift it to upper boxes and cap it.  If weather is favorable all hives get over 200 lbs honey from canola field during 3 week. I must be ready for that.

When hive is near full or it is too hot inside, they cannot work any more and they start to hang on outer wall.

In my country July is ordinary yield season. August we get almost nothing. In June hives are so small that they are not able to gather.

It depends first of all on pastures what you get.  If you have 6 box hive, you may get  80 lbs, 150 lbs or 200 lbs as average yield.

But ordinary yield season is about 3 weeks long. Then it is time to act when situations needs it. It vain effort to nurse hives whole year around if you are not ready to work when it is necessary. Many have splended ideas how to get rid off that job.  But it is simple : FULL BOXES TO CAR AND EMPTY BOXES ON THE MIDDLE OF HIVE.  

AND FROM WHERE YOU GET EMPTY BOXES: EXCTRACT FULL BOXES as soon as possible!


Here is loaded cannon. I use to put two weak hives together for main yield.

http://bees.freesuperhost.com/yabbfiles/Attachments/Kuva_049.jpg

Offline bassman1977

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Arranging Supers
« Reply #3 on: March 10, 2006, 10:57:20 am »
Great.  Thanks a lot.
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Offline Shizzell

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Arranging Supers
« Reply #4 on: March 10, 2006, 06:34:00 pm »
General Rule of Thumb: 7-8 Frames full on the bottom box? Add another.

Offline bassman1977

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Arranging Supers
« Reply #5 on: March 11, 2006, 02:16:20 am »
That's what I am to understand.
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Offline Finsky

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Arranging Supers
« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2006, 03:19:23 am »
Quote from: Shizzell
General Rule of Thumb: 7-8 Frames full on the bottom box? Add another.


I do not like these thumble rules - in what situation, what time of year?  And what full? Brood of honey? Bees? What means bottom box?

At spring when it is chilly weathers I raise carefully brood. When I add first box I put it  lowest. When I add second box or third box  hive should be very full of bees.  Amount of bees order how much I may add boxes.  

In summer when nights are warm I add second box to top, because bees bring there honey.  At once also queen start to lay eggs in empty frames. Soon I have brood in 2 boxes. This hive is not able to gather honey and I connect it to someone else. During honey flow I do not keep this kind of hives.

If it is swarm and it has one or two box full of brood and honey you cannot do nothing if new bees are not emerging a lot. Hive just catch a cold if I put more space.

Special situation is if hive is small and honey flow is heavy. They fill hive in couple of days and then they swarm suddenly.  That is why I do not keep small foraging hives.

But add honey box? - You may add box under the brood box and bees use it in same order like in nature. It depends on temperature.