How Much Room is Too Much Room?

[charlescfry]

OK, my hives are booming - they just filled a medium super in less than two weeks. I am coming up on a harvest period on our farm and I wont be able to get to the hives from about the 20th of August until the 20th of September. I don't want the bees to run out of room, but on the other hand I don't know if there is such as thing as "too much" room for them.

My hives have two deeps for brood, followed by three (now full) supers. The top super are beautiful and 100% honey. Can I put on two more empty mediums and let the girls go at it? I will be giving them foundation but no drawn comb. Like I mentioned, it took them about a week and a half to draw out and pack the last medium I put on for them.

Thanks in advance for your voices of experience.

[utahbeekeeper]

Prolly should never give a hive more than one box of foundation at a time.  If you had drawn comb, you can give 'em 3 or 4 at a time early on . . . . stack them and forget them for a few weeks.  Better just do the one box of foundation tho . . . . if they fill it and go honey bound a tad, at least you know they have plenty for winter.  Best wishes!!

[Ross]

With a hive that strong and a flow on, go for it.

[JP]

I would do an inspection of the upper supers and remove one or two boxes of capped honey most likely, and extract and replace the extracted frames.

You really need to be sure the queen has room to lay so they don't become honeybound and swarm because if that happens you will have extra room where shb and waxmoth can take up residency.


...JP