Shallow supers??

[Ronnie Elliott]

I have shallow supers on 5-colonies. I saw Friday, one shallow had a lot of upcapped honey stored. What to you look for, to know when it's time to start adding additional supers?

[Antero]

A colony is ready to receive additional supers when the previous one is about two-thirds full and the bees have started sealing the honey. Another indicator is the presence of white, freshly secreted wax along the lower edge of the comb's top bar. Some beekeepers super on specific dates, if they know from experience when the main nectar plants start to bloom.

Terry

[Jim Fischer]

> A colony is ready to receive additional supers
> when the previous one is about two-thirds full

Adding supers one at a time limits the crop
produced. Nectar flows can be intense right
after a rain shower, so the best bet is to
stack all the drawn comb you can on a hive,
and if stacking supers of foundation, stacking
at least 2 or 3 at a time on the colony.

So, super early, and empty the storage room.

[BeeBear]

>> so the best bet is to stack all the drawn comb you can on a hive,

Jim, would you give the same advice if using foundation, rather than drawn comb?

[Jim Fischer]

Like I said, 2 or 3 supers of foundation
at a time is not a bad idea at all. When
you get the optimal combination of heat and
nectar coming in, bees drawn comb like nothing
you've seen.

That said, I dedicate colonies to drawing
comb, and slap feeders of thin syrup on them
for a solid month starting in late June, after
the first nectar flows are over.

[BubbaBob]

In side by side comparisons, over several years, I find that stacking/removing individually produces more honey AND gives me a season long10 day harvest schedule for continuous honey sales rather than two harvests...one the end of spring flow for wildflower and one in the fall for sourwood.

BubbaBob