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Under or Over Supering

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BrianP_69:
Hi guys.
Just curious to know which of you guys just add an empty super to an almost full one.
I've under-supered my hive on advice from a fellow beekeeper but am starting to question that decision.
Since adding the new 10 frame super with just foundation, the bees seemed to have basically neglected the almost full super on top & are quite happily working hard on the new super closest to the brood box. I fully understand why they are doing it but it seems after several weeks that they have no intention of finishing the top floor. I am going to extract those frames upstairs that are 80% or more capped & add fresh foundation to the box.

Acebird:
I wouldn't do that.
First you have to pick what hive manipulation you feel comfortable with.  It helps if you understand what will happen.  The beekeepers who under-supers do it because the bees will take to the new box more readily.  So that is what is happening.  Don't go pulling resources away from them when you have encouraged them to work harder.  Undersupering is more aggressive then top supering where they can go up when they feel like it.

Kathyp:
Are we talking about adding more space?  In that case, the natural inclination of the bees is to build down and adding space underneath makes sense.
If you are talking about honey supers, the natural inclination of the bees is to store honey on top.

Live Oak:
When I add a box whether it be a brood box or honey super, the bees must be encouraged to move up into the new box.  I first select at least 3 well populated frames from the full box below the new box I will install and install them in the empty new box.  I checker board the empty frames I remove from the new box into the box below that I just removed the full frames from. Then I install the new box on top of the box I just swapped the frames out of. 

Honey bee's natural inclination is to build up.  They will build down if left no other way but they will not always do this. 

The new box installed in the stack with 3 or more full frames of bees especially nurse bees working brood will naturally attract other bees to move up and begin drawing out comb and stationing resources for those frames of brood or honey frames in a honey super.

As a rule of thumb, over super in the Spring and under super in the Fall in preparation for Winter.

That's how I do it. 

Kathyp:

--- Quote ---Honey bee's natural inclination is to build up.  They will build down if left no other way but they will not always do this. 
--- End quote ---

Sorry, that is not accurate if you are talking about the brood nest building. they start at the top and build down.  They move down as they store honey over the top.  In our artificial hives we give them room over the top to store honey with honey supers. 

You can expand the brood area either over or under and it will usually work OK because they will use the room if they are expanding, but in the wild they would build down so doing it under is following their natural path.  Moving frames does help if you expand over.

There's not a rule about this.  Do what works for you.  As for your honey supers, they will often not do a complete 10 frame super if they have room.  They will do a central arc over the brood nest.  They tend to fill in better if they are crowded, but then you run the risk of swarming.  how packed are your bees in the brood boxes?

Is that as clear as mud?   :cheesy:

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