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Adding a Super Now

2K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  ZEEBEE 
#1 ·
Hello All,

I just registered and this is my first post.
Thanks for having me.

I started my hive this year late in the season ( first week in June ). I ordered some Italian Bees. Since I'm Italian, I thought we'd get along better. Anyway, everything's going great with them. Its a strong healthy hive. Right now I have the brood super and the food super. I have 4-5 frames of brood in each super. Lots of capped honey and nectar. Don't see alot of pollen however.

Should I add a super to the hive at this time? I am worried that the bees may need more space and food supplies for winter.


Thanks alot!

Mike
 
#4 ·
LOL

Mike, add a super if the super that's there is mostly full. Put the new super under the old super unless there's brood in the full super. Bait the new super with a couple of frames of honey from the other super. Brood may be put into it.... But don't use queen excluder.

If you only have one hive, make plans yesterday to have at least one more, preferably two more colonies next spring.

Feed sugar water 24/7

Good Luck.

I wouldn't take honey from this hive this year.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the reply Daisy. My top super is full and it has 5-6 frames of brood. So it looks like the new super will go on top.

Yeah you're right about the honey. Had no intention of harvesting this year. I just want a strong and healthy hive for the winter.

If I put a new deep super (for commonality) on top, do I keep it there for the winter? No queen excluder? I thought I'd just give them more room to make honey not brood. Is there something I don't understand here?

Thanks again!!
 
#6 ·
You can add whatever you want to the top. All the same size is nice. They should always have extra room until the fall flow is pretty much over and it's not even fall yet. If the top box is mostly full going into winter, I'd leave it. If it's mostly empty I'd pull it. Of course if it's the same size frames as your brood chamber, you also may be able to put a few full frames in for some of the empty brood frames in the brood chamber to give them some more stores.
 
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