Author Topic: Setting Heavy Supers Off To The Side (Read 9009 times)

Jen · « **on:** August 03, 2014, 11:16:46 am »

Curious $:-\$ Two of my hives have full to the brim honey supers on the top of the stacks, one each. They are just sitting there being heavy. When I do my inspections I have to lift them off and set them aside and then hoist them back up on top again, unless hubby is home of course.

Can I take a honey super off of the stack and set it beside the stack until after the late fall inspection, then return them to the stack for the winter? I would put the super, or more supers stacked, on a piece of plywood with a secure top so no robbing would occur. If the supers are on the stack in 105 degrees and don't melt, then why wouldn't this work sitting beside the stack.

Hubby said it has to do with the bees and temperature. That the bees keep the temperature at a level so honey and wax doesn't melt inside the hive.

I think this is a good question for newbees, especially this time of year

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #1 on:** August 03, 2014, 11:24:24 am »

THe bees keep them cool and ventilated as well as keeping pests at bay, wax moth Hive beetle ants etc... If you did that you would return to find a big mess, either because of the melting or because of the pests.. If you cant deal with moving them, its TIME for Jaybird to extract!!!!

Jen · « **Reply #2 on:** August 03, 2014, 11:33:11 am »

Good Morning First Responder Scott!

"If you cant deal with moving them, its TIME for Jaybird to extract!!!!

Here in lies another question. Because all 4 of my hives started out as swarms, cast swarms, and reduced colonies from the swarming in the spring... how do I know that there is enough honey within the brood boxes to sustain them over the winter? Wouldn't I be taking their winter supply?

iddee · « **Reply #3 on:** August 03, 2014, 11:40:41 am »

How much did you leave on the one that lived through the winter last year? How much was left in it this spring. Now you know how much to leave. Extract the rest, or freeze some frames and feed back in Feb. or Mar. You can also mix honey and water and feed in early spring, same as sugar water.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #4 on:** August 03, 2014, 11:42:20 am »

Are you talking about supers or brood boxes?
If those are the brood boxes, checkerboard new frames in and put the full frames in your freezer. Let them draw the new frames and start to fill those, when winter arrives.. IF they have not filled the new frames you can slide the thawed frames from the freezer back in place so they are ready for winter. You may get some honey to extract and they have full stores.
If you have supers on that are full, the brood boxes below should be pretty full.. If they are not, pull the supers, extract some of the frames, freeze some to put on for winter if they do not get the brood box backfilled.
Iddee posted while typing.. What he said too

Slowmodem · « **Reply #5 on:** August 03, 2014, 12:34:03 pm »

If you don't want to pull the supers and extract right now, put more supers on (either on top or under the full super) and see if they draw comb and fill those, too. It's only August. There's plenty of time for winter preparations (unless you live high in the mountains or in Alaska).

Jen · « **Reply #6 on:** August 03, 2014, 12:50:42 pm »

Iddee- "How much did you leave on the one that lived through the winter last year? How much was left in it this spring. Now you know how much to leave.

I have no idea. The last three years I had no mentoring, we insulated the outside of the hive and hoped for the best. This year I will continue my huge learning curve thru my forum mentors

apisbees · « **Reply #7 on:** August 03, 2014, 01:48:39 pm »

In northern California It will be if there is a fall flow due to the hot dry summer and if they get moisture to get the fall plants to produce nectar. The amount of honey needed to over winter for her because of how early her spring is is the 30 to 40 lb range. When it comes to successful overwintering stores are only 1/2 the issue, the condition and health of the bees is just as an important, and often overlooked. The bees need the late summer and fall flows is stimulate a good healthy new fall winter bee population to take the colony into and thru the winter. The bees also need to be healthy and free of pests and disease.

Jen · « **Reply #8 on:** August 03, 2014, 02:10:03 pm »

And this is exactly why I'm not confident to extract honey yet. However, Iddee said I could use honey and water to feed in the winter if needed, haven't heard of that formula before. And I like the idea of checker boarding to lighten the weight of the honey supers.

I've got a couple of pics to take of the star thistle in our back alley, and the smokey skies and ash on our cars. Sun? haven't seen it for a few days.

Rain? only a couple of hours worth every now and then which produces 12 more fires

Be back a little later

Beeboy · « **Reply #9 on:** August 03, 2014, 08:24:25 pm »

Jen, if I wasn't sure that they had enough for the winter I would at least take two frames spin them out, enjoy some of your own honey and watch to see how long it takes for them to fill those frames back up.

Do you have a extractor?

barry42001 · « **Reply #10 on:** August 03, 2014, 09:19:06 pm »

I was always raised on the concept that the bee's need a minimum of 60 pounds because you're not merely talking about feeding bees through the winter you're talking about them having enough feed for them when they start serious early brood rearing, that is when colonies will starve.

Perry · « **Reply #11 on:** August 03, 2014, 09:22:30 pm »

To add to what Iddee mentioned. If you are going to feed extracted honey back, add 10% water to get them to take it easier.

iddee · « **Reply #12 on:** August 03, 2014, 09:24:07 pm »

Barry, that was when a beek went to the hive once a year and harvested. Otherwise, they were never looked at. Now, in NC, it is recommended 30 to 50 lb. Adjust upward for north of here, downward for south of here.

barry42001 · « **Reply #13 on:** August 03, 2014, 09:33:26 pm »

Iddee, I was in upstate NY when those lessons were taught lol and bearing in mind from up there I am using nothing but deep s so leaving behind sixty pounds is just a super/ brood chamber.

iddee · « **Reply #14 on:** August 03, 2014, 09:46:47 pm »

I didn't know even PEOPLE overwintered in upstate NY. I thought all of them went to Florida in November.

Perry · « **Reply #15 on:** August 03, 2014, 09:54:22 pm »

Jen · « **Reply #16 on:** August 03, 2014, 11:07:19 pm »

Hi Bee- "Jen, if I wasn't sure that they had enough for the winter I would at least take two frames spin them out, enjoy some of your own honey and watch to see how long it takes for them to fill those frames back up.

Do you have a extractor?

Ya know!... I like this idea! Yes, I have access to an extractor, hand crank, I haven't even seen it yet, but hubby has.

If I got a jar of my own honey, you can bet I'de be outside digging and burying it like the treasured bones my dog loves, dig it back up and sample a bit on a particularly hard day, or good day for that matter

Might even throw a quilt an pillow and sleep over it a night or two

Jen · « **Reply #17 on:** August 04, 2014, 12:44:12 am »

This post got off topic but I learned some other neat tricks as well. Soo, back on topic, which is how to remove or reduce the weight of two mediums full of capped honey, so my inspections are less laborous

Scott- "Are you talking about supers or brood boxes?

medium supers full of capped honey ~

Scott- "If you have supers on that are full, the brood boxes below should be pretty full.. If they are not, pull the supers, extract some of the frames, freeze some to put on for winter if they do not get the brood box backfilled.

favor please, scratching my head on this last suggestion. Would I be removing the honey super to encourage the bees to work on the brood box only.... $:-\$

Jen · « **Reply #18 on:** August 04, 2014, 01:12:14 am »

Perry- "To add to what Iddee mentioned. If you are going to feed extracted honey back, add 10% water to get them to take it easier."

That's the equation I was wanting, Thanks Perry!

Now... how do you stir water into honey?

And, the jarred honey... won't that be very cold and stiff for the bees to get it out of the holes in the lid?

barry42001 · « **Reply #19 on:** August 04, 2014, 01:30:03 am »

Honey has hydroscopic properties that is to say it absorbs moisture even from the air. What I believe Iddee is suggesting is to thin the honey to be more like nectar then cured honey. Not as thick, but taken just as readily so yes you can stir/ mix alittle water into the honey.
As to those heavy supers as long as you leave them on it doesn't matter where in the stack they are you will still have to pick them up to get into the brood chambers. The upper brood chamber, should already have a large cap of honey across the top of most of the frames and the outer frames should have capped honey. Don't know how much longer your season will last but in all probability the bees are preparing for winter already if in fact they totally fill the upper brood chamber with capped honey they should have more than enough to last through one of your winters and still start raising their brood in the early spring.