This is my first year beekeeping so I am still learning a lot. I just put a new deep super on top of 4 other deeps I have.
In this case when you add a new empty super, put it allways between brood and honey. It accelerates bee's motivation to gather honey. Also honey will rippen in right order and you can take ripen honey from hive away.
I need to know how much honey to leave over winter ...
In Finland we take honey away and give sugar instead of honey.
In Finland 2 super hive consumes 20 kilos crystal sugar between September and May. You have shorter winter there, at least 2 months and winter is warmer. I leave about 5 kg honey for winter and 20 kg sugar.
But I guess, your hives are not insulated. When I started to use insulted supers, it saved 30% winter sugar. Now I use polystytere boxes.
I think that your hives consumes 15 kg during winter. Am I right? Langstroth contains 25 kg honey as full. Bees do not waste food if they have more or less.
Your hive is gathering well. Keep allways empty space for brood and honey. If they have lack of free space, they will swarm.
My bottom two deeps have brood in them now. Will the queen move down into the lower one for winter and do I take the top one off :?: When do I do that? Thaanx for any help :D I have learned alot from this forum.
EOHenry
Ther winter ball starts there where last brood was. They start overwintering from bottom.
The winterball will be as big as brood area.
It is usefull to keep the lowest super empty, so bees store there pollen and it has reservoir for extra honey when it is good honey flow.
If your colony has allmost 2 super brood, colony can rearch 6-7 super's volume.
One full Langstroth contain 25 kg honey. Farrar has 15 kg. You can calculate how must they have collected.