two questions 1) i was told in our area of n. new england that we need two large supers full of honey for the bees to overwinter.
In Finland we need 20 kg dry sugar ( diluted in water) for overwintering and one langstroth box. I suppose that your summer is at least 2 months longer than we have. Two box honey is too much, I think.
Now it is mid of summer. You must take your capped honey away from nest and do not think winter.
- bottom boxes are very heavy....
- to harvest some frames of honey from the upper of the two large boxes..or should we leave that alone and wait for our honey supers.
The lowest supers are heavy? - It means that they have they honey there or a lot of pollen. I think that you keep your bees too tighly. They store honey in brood boxes. Take honey frames from lower super and put them to the upper one. Give space to queen to lay eggs an give enough space to new honey and pollen.
It is unnecessary to keep full honey frames in the hive. Is is not usefull for bees heat the vain space.
Keep allways free space between brood and honey and space for pollen under brood.
Order from bottom to top for 5-6 box hive.
Free space for pollen and nectar one super
2 supers for brood
2 Half empty supers for honey
capped honey ready to take away.
FOR 3-BOX HIVE:
1 Langstroth box for brood
1 half empty honey super
1 super which is half capped
If your hive is little, do not keep there capped honey. Put new empty box between brood and honey.
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