Table of Contents
What is the purpose of a honey super?
Beekeepers define a super as “any upper-story hive box placed over the brood chamber for purpose of storing surplus honey.” When you look up “honey super,” Wikipedia informs us, “A honey super is a part of a commercial or other managed (such as by a hobbyist) beehive that is used to collect honey.” So, the verb “ Jun 1, 2021.
When should you add a honey super?
The ideal time to add a super is during periods of natural population growth (typically, the spring), before or during a honey flow (spring or summer), or during periods of swarming (again, typically the spring). Before adding a super, beekeepers often use a standard rule of thumb, which is known as the 7/10 rule.
Do you need a honey super?
If you haven’t done so already, you may be overdue for adding honey supers to your hives. Honey supers are essential for honey collection, but perhaps just as important for relieving overcrowding inside the hive. Throughout May and especially June, plants are practically dripping with nectar.
How long does it take for bees to fill a honey super?
A colony with a good population can fill a shallow super in 1 – 2 weeks. This is assuming that a strong nectar flow is on and the bees do not have to fly very far to collect it. Of course, it can happen much faster but that is an average.
How many frames go in a honey super?
Some beekeepers use only 8 or 9 frames in a honey super, while others use all 10. It does make a difference. Obviously, if you use 9 frames, the comb on each frame will be drawn out wider by the bees, thus making much more space for the honey.
Can you put a honey super on too early?
YES! If you put them no too early the bees lose the heat up to the empty super. That will slow down brood rearing and reduce the number of bees they can keep warm. You are still full with honey so they have food they will clear as they raise new bees.
How many honey supers do I need per hive?
A single hive can have at least 2-3 supers. When your first honey super is about ⅔ full of honey, add another super on top of it. Repeat this process until you’re ready to remove a super.
What can I do with half filled honey supers?
You can put all the partially capped frames in a super above an inner cover. As long as the days remain warm enough for the bees to move around, they will move the honey from the super down close to the brood nest. If you want them to remove all of it, scratch open the capped cells.
Can I leave a honey super on over winter?
Yes, you can leave a honey super or several on the hive over Winter. In fact, most beekeepers do have a super or two designated for use by the bees. The size of the box designated as the “food super” for the bees varies from one beekeeper to another and from one region to another.
How long does it take bees to draw out a frame?
With that said, if all are perfect for the bees, it will take 1 to 2 weeks for a strong colony to draw a out all the frames in a honey super. In fact, some colonies can take less than a week even though this happens rarely.
What is a queen excluder in a beehive?
In simple terms, a queen excluder is a perforated barrier placed between the brood chamber and the honey super that prevents the queen from entering the honey super and laying eggs. The brood chamber is the part of the hive that the queen is confined to raise brood or baby bees.
Can you feed bees with supers on?
To clarify, a beekeeper should never feed sugar syrup to bees when they have a honey super in place. Never. If a honey super is in place when the bees have sugar syrup, they will store it in the comb just like honey.
How many times do you harvest honey in a year?
Most beekeepers harvest honey 2-3 times per year/season. Honey is normally harvested between mid June until mid September. How often you harvest depends on your local climate and plant life. Poor weather conditions, disease and pests infiltrating your hives will also affect your harvesting schedule.
How many pounds of honey can one bee colony produce in a year?
One bee colony can produce 60 to 100 pounds of honey per year. An average worker bee makes only about 1/12 teaspoon of honey in its lifetime.
How much honey should you leave for the bees?
As a general guide, in warmer climates you should probably leave behind about 40 pounds of honey for a hive of average size (let’s call ‘average’ a full hive occupying a 10-frame deep box). In moderate climates that experience some colder temperatures, 60 pounds of honey is the general rule.
How many supers will bees fill?
Strong colonies can fill a 10 deep super in less than a week and sometimes in as little as 2-3 days. But as many experienced beekeepers will tell you this requires patience and planning to build strong highly productive colonies.
How heavy is a super full of honey?
A shallow 10 frame super full of honey ought to weigh about 40 lbs. A medium super will weigh 40 to 50 lbs. A deep super will weigh 70 to 90 lbs. A deep hive body full of bees, brood, and honey should weigh about 80 lbs.
How many boxes should a beehive have?
The general consensus in most regions of the world is to use either one or two brood boxes. Using three or more means that you are probably doing your bees a disservice. In this case you would be better off splitting the large hive so you can get back to one or two brood boxes.
