Strategy for Supering?

[Benton2569]

I have three hives: very strong, strong and one that is o.k. I have 8 honey supers but only 3.5 supers have comb that is really drawn out.

Is there a strategy that you would use when placing them for a nectar flow?

For example put the drawn supers on the strongest hive in order to maximize honey or visa versa put the foundation on the strongest becuase they will draw them out quicker.

Would you start with supers of drawn comb then go to foundation?

Thanks for your feedback!

[rainesridgefarm]

are you running 8 frames to a super? If you are you can take one and only one drawn frame out of the center and replace it with one foundation frame. I did 300 supers like that last year and only one did not draw straight. The rest you should put on foundation first with ten frames then drawn honey supers above that.

[Benton2569]

I run 10 frame supers since i have only a few hives to deal with. So you are saying start with foundation first. Good to know. My initial thought was to start with drawn.

[Michael Palmer]

I run 10 frame supers since i have only a few hives to deal with. So you are saying start with foundation first. Good to know. My initial thought was to start with drawn.

I would start with the drawn comb. Then, when the bees are working well in those, add foundation below the extracting supers. This can be wired for extracting, or cut comb honey foundation on the best colonies.

[beegee]

You could put the foundation on all the hives and then switch it around to even it up as needed. Bees can make wax amazingy fast during a honey flow in good warm weather. Remember that one hive of 50,000 bees will outproduce two hives of 25,000.

[Jon D.]

My experience has always been that 20% of the hives make 80% of the honey. That might be a bit exaggerated, but you get the picture. Your strongest hives will clearly outproduce your weaker hives, so work with them to make the most overall honey. I would give the drawn supers to your strong hive, and let your weaker hives draw out the other supers. That way you will maximize your total honey production.

--Jon D.