[mxr618]

Hey, all -

When should I put honey supers on? I've got one hive outside of Chicago, and two in SW Wisconsin (one weak, one strong).

The supers are mediums, Pierco, and haven't been drawn yet -- they're new. I'm running two deeps on the bottom.

Last year I didn't get any honey but I never went through the hives, not even once as my job took me to Atlanta for the year. I put two supers on to see what would happen and got nothing.

I've gone through the hives this year, switched boxes top to bottom, did two walkaway splits (fingers crossed) and took a frame of brood and nurse bees and put it in the weak hive to strengthen them.

Just don't know. Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Fuzzy]

Well, lets just say that I already have 2 full boxes on each hive. Just put another 3 empties on each hive. But that is just me in California.

 

[Ravenseye]

The answer is to put the boxes on just ahead of a flow but it's often hard to tell when that will occur. If you have strong hives, you can super now and let them start to pull wax if they feel the need. Leave the excluders home, add the supers and let them decide what to do with them. Sooner is usually better than later!

 

[tct1w]

Yeah nothing wrong with putting them on now. It will take some time for them to pull the wax so let them get a jump on it. As said before leave the excluders off. If you do use them wait until they have put something in the super and then put them on. Peace Dave

 

[c10250]

I live west of Chicago also. I have put a medium super on as part of swarm prevention.

We have not had a flow yet here. I have my hive on a scale, and track it day-to-day. I'll keep you informed as to when we hit a flow.

Ken

 

[Roland]

We usually start adding supers in June, but that depends how strong your hives are. The rule of thumb as a kid was, the "Bull of the Woods" would fire up the extracting room around July 4th(first deep full).

Roland

.

 

[mxr618]

Thank you all very much for the heads up. I'll get them going tomorrow depending on the weather.

 

[c10250]

I've heard from a friend here that Chicago's first flow is around May 20th. We're a little early this year, so I'm expecting something to hit around the 10th. Let's hope for good weather!

 

[Monie]

Well, lets just say that I already have 2 full boxes on each hive. Just put another 3 empties on each hive. But that is just me in California.

This side of the country is behind Calif, by about 2-3 months.

I'd add a couple now, especially if you won't be able to get back to them.

 

[mxr618]

One super or two, do you think?

 

[StephenSaved]

I'm new to bee keeping but started last spring. Had a nuk placed into two large brood boxes that ended up with lots of honey and pollen but the bee's left over the winter. I placed a new queen and hive in the brood boxes three weeks back and I'm wondering here in NC should I put on the honey supers?

The new hoive is eating very little of the sugar water i have for them as there is plenty of honey left made last year?

I want to put the queen excluder and super on today? UR thoughts?

 

[WBVC]

Do bees simply "leave" over the winter? I have read of them dieing then but not of them simply up and "leaving". Where on earth do they go when its cold and not food out of the hive? Is that yet another thing newbies have to be concerned about?

 

[StephenSaved]

There were no dead bees in the hive. the hive was empty of bees, no dead bees on the bottom. So maybe smarter than me you can answer this