Storing empty supers on hive

[nesbit37]

I am pretty sure I know the answer to this already but being a paranoid keeper I want to get a second opinion and make sure. I keep bees in the city at a community garden and live in an apartment, so I don't exactly have a ton of space at home. Is there any problem with placing 2 or 3 empty supers, no frames or anything, on top of the inner cover and under the outer cover of new hives until the bees are ready to use them during the spring and summer? I imagine its fine unless it makes the hive more difficult to heat for the bees or something, but seeing as the hive stops at the inner cover I don't see how they would lose much heat this way.

[avesterfelt]

My opinion is that is a bad idea; I have never done it so I could not say from experience.

I would think you would be better off to just stack them to the side or on top of the top cover not the inner cover making it part of the hive. The open boxes would be a great place for pests, mice, and who knows what else to take up residence. I would also think that if you stack the empty space on top for too long you would also have some comb issues that would start. My 2 cents worth.

[nesbit37]

But things on top of the inner cover are not part of the hive and animals could not get in there other than the bees who could travel in through the center cut out in the inner cover. Essentially I am talking about expanding the cavity you would place a hive feeder so I can put the supers somewhere.

I am wary about just placing them to the side of the hives or on top of the outer cover. Mainly because I do not want the unpainted inside walls of the supers to get soaked in the rain.

[avesterfelt]

I would say try it and keep a watchful eye, all my inner covers have notches in them for entrance and ventilation so it would not be a good seal. This time of the year I don’t think the mice would be a problem, but you can always try and see what happens. I feel you on the not enough space to store things, been there. If it were me I would rather they be in my attic then on my hives.

Also I have had hives build comb on the outer cover, very rare, but happens.

You could also put an old piece of plywood over the top of the boxes to keep the rain out, but you are probably right about them being exposed to the weather too much.

[REN]

I started beekeeping last year and kept supers on the hives above the inner cover, just as you're describing, all winter. I still have them on the hives and have top feeders on the inner cover now, also as you described. This has worked great for me. No comb build up, no problems. Go for it.

[SpeckledPup]

http://i846.photobucket.com/albums/a...es/abc/001.jpg

the 2nd and 4th hive are actually extra equipment. I had extra room in between so set it up with my extra hive bodies. #2 has a bottom board and cover, #4 has a piece of 16x20 plywood underneath and a cover, both have straps to hold everything together.

[avesterfelt]

Becky, I would feel more comfortable doing exactly that, but as with all of life “try it, the worst that can happen is more knowledge”

[ByronMO]

Another option is to invest in another cover. Just close hive normaly with inner and outer lids. Then stack your unused boxes on top of that and put the extra cover on the top to keep the weather out. I have done that before.