Supers

In early spring the colony starts its breeding and foraging activities again and numbers increase rapidly. This is the moment to add supers to give the workers storage space for the honey they collect during spring honey-flows.
There are two types of supers: shallow or half supers and deep or full size supers.
Shallow supers are generally half the depth of a Dadant brood-box.
In Langstroth-style hives with double brood chambers, the supers are usually the same depth as the brood-boxes.

When should supers be added ?

The right moment is very difficult to estimate. It depends on several factors:

- size of the colony, whether adequate or not.
- sufficient flowers to provide a honey-flow, etc.

A few helpful hints

A rule of thumb for when to add supers:

- all the space between the frames is occupied.
- the tops of frames are white (new wax).
- the bees are eager to build wax - check by placing a foundation frame at one end. If it is quickly drawn out, the bees are "asking" for a super!

Tip

Place one or two sheets of newspaper between the brood-box and super.
The bees will chew through the paper as soon as more space is required for expansion.

- advantage - no cooling of the hive caused by the sudden addition of new volume
- drawback - not esthetically pleasing.

What should the supers contain ?

A few days before visiting the apiary, check the supers and air them to eliminate any musty odor or traces of moisture. Every year a certain number of super frames need to be replaced for the following reasons:

- combs in poor condition
- they contain pollen
- or have contained brood etc.

The frames of foundation wax should be placed in the center of the super with drawn combs on either side. The frames of foundation stimulate wax production: bees hate empty spaces.
It is not a good idea to alternate foundation with drawn combs, as this causes irregular construction.
To avoid placing a second super, the capped combs can be removed and replaced by foundation or empty combs. But special care must be taken with storage as damp conditions play havoc with the moisture level of the capped honey.

Placing a second super

Once the first super is 3/4 full, a second super can be placed between the brood-box and the first super. This prevents the bees from using the brood chamber to store honey, a bad practice as it blocks egg-laying and disturbs the future development of the colony.

Position of the second super

Placing the second super on top of the first stimulates the bees less, and is therefore not as productive as inserting it between the brood-box and the first super.
For beekeepers who work without a queen excluder care must be taken to check for brood in the first super. It is advisable to move any frames containing brood into the new (second) super to keep it close to the brood box, especially if the colony is not particularly strong.
A few frames of foundations can also be added in the center of the second super.