adding a super and feeding

[sk8er72]

Made a check of a nuc i installed mid May, I have been feeding from the start. Hives are doing good the first hive body is full of broad and cap honey. The 2nd hive body has about 8 or 9 frames with comb and honey but not caped. I am still feeding them and the bees are really eating alot. The question is - is it time to add a super with new frames with no comb build - I understand I should stop feeding when you put a super on. But no rain in about a month, Can the bees still build new comb when everything is dead due to no rain and you stop the feeding.

Thanks

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Welfare bees will need another super. The better solution is to stop feeding and not add a super. Bees need water for a draught, syrup is optional.

[indypartridge]

My mentor would recommend that you put the super on and continue to feed until they draw it out - that way you'd have a drawn super for next spring. That's one way of thinking.

However, I don't feed when supers are on. Period. If there's a good flow, they can draw out and fill a super in a week.

I would agree with AmericasBeek - that given the drought, stop feeding and don't add the super.

[sk8er72]

Thanks for the replays, so if I understand during a drought I could just put water in the feeder just in case the bees need water?

Thanks

[Tohya]

Not quite, while they do need water. During an extended drought you need to keep track of how much honey is stored. To make sure they aren't eating all of it and will have enough to make it through winter.