I am interested in learning more about how and when people stagger their Supers to increase ventilation and honey dehydration during a flow. 1. Does this really increase the dehydration process or is this a "feel good" move by the beekeeper to feel like they are doing something? 2. I've read...

I run double deeps, but have a medium with drawn comb. It has been used as a brood chamber by a friend who only runs mediums. Should I add it to my strongest hive as an extra brood chamber? What is the best way to utilize the drawn comb in the medium. It is pretty dark.

This is the best thread to use for "When do you add a second box?" because its the oldest most "on topic" one I found. I can't add a poll to it. How does your box adding advice differ when adding box 2 versus >2 boxes?

Going into winter I had a hive of two deeps with the nest contained in the lower one of the two. The upper had ~5 frames with old comb in it and the rest were empty frames. Yesterday when I checked the hive, the nest had expanded into the upper box, new comb had been drawn on much of the outer...

Just a conversational thread -- Here is a frame I pulled out of a deep that was a super. If you came across this: What would you do with it? And why?

Hello, We made it through our first MN winter as beekeepers and have a strong hive! I am ready to do a reversal of the deep boxes now that our MN nights are getting warmer. My question is that I left a super of honey on the hive to overwinter because they needed it. Now it's full of brood. What...

I am in the midst of a beekeeping challenge: it’s September and the honeybees aren’t building in the honey super. For around the last month, I find small groups exploring the frames in the super but never a sign of building comb. I know that the honeybees will not move into the super until the...

Hi all, This is my second year in beekeeping. I think I made some mistakes last year, and I'd like to avoid them if possible this year :). I've a hive with 2 supers full of honey, and I'm not sure what is the best way to proceed at this point (please bear in mind that I live in Colorado so my...

Hi all! We just got an English Garden hive from Brushy Mountain Bee Supply, and bought a nuc from the local supplier. The frames that came with the nuc were taller than the frames from Brushy Mountain hive. The Brushy Mountain hive is supposed to have two supers with 8 frames each What we...

How many supers do you typically add at once if they're drawn. If not, do you mix drawn and undrawn frames?

I know I've seen a post for something like this in the past but cannot find it. Live in South Central Ontario. Does anyone store their supers outside for the winter? I was thinking of putting them on a couple of skids and then cover the top with a piece of plywood and then a cement pad on...

We have hive that overwintered and now has 3 deeps and 3 supers. The supers are ready for extraction. But we hate the upset we cause the hive when brushing the bees off the frames. I'm thinking that we might setup another hive next to this one with a 10 drawn out frame deep, and move all 3...

Hello from south central Indiana. I've read posts about this topic, but am looking for some experiences others have had trying this method. I have enough drawn comb to fill two deep hive bodies. I installed a package of bees and gave them three frames of honey/pollen to start them off. Since...

Hello all - I became a beek about 3 years ago and plan to be in this for awhile longer. I've purchased and made my equipment up to this point but was wondering if the costs of going to cypress hives is worth it. I surmise that people will say 1 of the 2 following statements - "if you're...

Brand new beek (first post) here, got my bees this spring. Built my warre hive this last year from salvaged pine lumber. Recently had extreme bearding going on and thought it was just the heat but when I tilted my boxes they felt very heavy, so I added a 3rd box on the bottom. Bearding has...

Hello all! Forgive me if this is obvious, but do yall know if I can put my hive like this? --> Cover Inner cover (no upper entrance) Brood box (10 frames of honey,pollen,brood) Queen excluder Super Bottom board The reason I am asking is the bees keep PACKING IN the pollen and honey in the...

I have a new hive, and the bees are booming and I'm going to have to add a small super by tuesday (5/27) at the latest. I have decided to go foundationless, and have had great luck with my deeps, I had enough drawn comb to alternate with foundationless, and the bees have drawn comb beautifully...

Located in Ontario Canada. Finally got above 32F and some of the snow started to melt the last couple of days. We've got lots of snow so its going to be a long time until spring comes. Checked the hives a couple weeks ago and they seemed fine. Decided to add a couple pollen patties to...

I bought two 5-frame nucs in May and one has 80% of the second deep body fully drawn with significant amounts of honey and brood. Would it be wise to add a honey super and stop feeding? I'm in south-central Indiana and not sure what (if any) flow is yet to occur. The bees are still taking...

Hi there: I installed my hive on May 4th, and everything seems to be going fine. They are on 8 frame mediums, foundationless. So far, they have filled two boxes and I'm adding a third today. Right now the queen is laying only in the second box- my question is, at what point does she move back...