[mjrice]

Is there a general rule of thumb for when to add a second super? What is the penalty of adding one too soon? I have had the first super on my hive for a few weeks now, and it has (1) empty frame, (2) frames about 1/2 full of unfilled comb, and (7) frames that are completely drawn out but mostly not capped yet (lots of nectar in there and some brood, maybe 20% capped honey). Its the last day of July and I live in Northeastern Ohio. Time to add another super?

 

[Bsweet]

I would add the second super now, might also move the empty frames inward and move some of the filled necture frames to the outside of the super, this will encourage them to work on the empty frames. Jim

 

[riverrat]

You havent mentioned what your set up for brood is. If you add another super and they draw it out they are more than likely going to keep moving up into the supers you add. If you are building brood area I would say go ahead and add another. If you are wanting them for honey I would put a excluder on under the super making sure the queen is in the lower brood boxes and allow the brood to hatch above so they can back fill with honey. They say not to add foundation above a excluder but I have never put foundation on above an excluder on top of drawn comb. not sure what would happen

 

[tecumseh]

I think the prevailing wisdom is when the super is 80 to 90 % full is the time to add another super. as BSweet suggest shuffling the frames of an 'almost' full super is a good idea. I sometime use this time to reduce frames from 10 to 9 frames in the 'almost' full super and use 1 not quite capped frame to bait the girls up into the added super.

the down side... prior to the shb there was little down side to adding a stack of supers and waiting to see what the season produced. now (at least here) I try to avoid providing too much space for the shb.

 

[mjrice]

You havent mentioned what your set up for brood is.

I have two deep boxes below the first super - is that what you mean?

 

[riverrat]

You havent mentioned what your set up for brood is.

I have two deep boxes below the first super - is that what you mean?

yep your fine i missread your first post i thought you had more brood in the super disregard my advise and run with the others :thumbsup:

 

[Americasbeekeeper]

Before we had small hive beetles, varroa mites and other intruders, the prevailing wisdom was to add a super when all frames are 70 to 80 percent full. The hive will tolerate too much room for a few months or weeks and die over the winter. It makes no sense to heat, cool, dehumidify, humidify, protect and defend space they do not need with resources (honey for energy) they do need.

 

[mjrice]

Before we had small hive beetles, varroa mites and other intruders, the prevailing wisdom was to add a super when all frames are 70 to 80 percent full...

I hear this a lot but not as much of an explanation of what "full" means. Full of comb? Full of comb that is partially full with brood and nectar? Full of capped honey?