How many supers?

[mintmoth]

I'm reading Ormond Aebi's book "Mastering the Art of Beekeeping", and he regularly put between 8 and 11 supers on his hives (in Santa Cruz, California). He apparently worked them using a wide plank supported between two step-ladders

So I was wondering, what's the most anyone has put on their hives? Do you let them build up, or empty and replace full ones?

 

[MikeT]

Look in the beginners section Under "Making new Supers"
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=32022

This picture is quite impressive

 

[Tom Bick]

8 - 11 supers that must be a tall hive and definitely in need of the step ladder. Just hope the stack has good foundations. If the supers are full then it would make sense to remove some to make your life that much easier but then each to their own. The most I have had is six supers on a double brood standard national and would not want to go any higher.

 

[northernsoul]

I've done 4 on a brood and a half but I think those of us who have bees near OSR will be limited given the need to take them off when they're capped,
Gone are the days when you could put a super on in April and remove at the end of August

 

[Tom Bick]

Still some people lucky enough to be able to do that

 

[YorkshireBees]

Look in the beginners section Under "Making new Supers"
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=32022

This picture is quite impressive

Thanks

6 on one hive and 5 on the hive next to it. both on double brood.

It was during this years OSR season / flow and none of the supers were ready for extraction. Most were full but not capped and failed the shake test.

In the foreground next to the wooden hive you can make out a stone in the grass. I had to stand on that to lift on / off the top (full) super!

I took the photo just after inserting my clearer boards to start taking some supers off.

Normally I would say 4 (max 5) supers per hive is more than enough but this year was exceptional for me.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Here's one from 2013 - she had one more on her this year (still the same yellow queen - no signs of swarming) another hive this year had seven as wel, one being a brood box used as a super.a few had five

 

[YorkshireBees]

Here's one from 2013 - she had one more on her this year (still the same yellow queen - no signs of swarming) another hive this year had seven as wel, one being a brood box used as a super.a few had five

Impressive JBM! Two of my best performing colonies have also not swarmed for 2 seasons now. I will be trying to bread from them next season if they survive the winter ok.

Looks a little lop sided on that hive stand!!

btw is your strap across the entrance? Not that it would make much difference as long as your on a wide entrance.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Impressive JBM! Two of my best performing colonies have also not swarmed for 2 seasons now. I will be trying to bread from them next season if they survive the winter ok.

Looks a little lop sided on that hive stand!!

btw is your strap across the entrance? Not that it would make much difference as long as your on a wide entrance.

The one next to it was a new queen from a split a month previously just transferred into a full hive - I use under floor entrances which are the full width of the hive and the strap just lies over the 'lobby' not blocking the entrance at all

 

[mintmoth]

Lovely to see photos of your tall hives, thanks. Some of you stack high then!

Here's the picture off the back of the book. Mr Aebi took 268lbs wildflower honey off this hive in 1976.

 

[YorkshireBees]

The one next to it was a new queen from a split a month previously just transferred into a full hive - I use under floor entrances which are the full width of the hive and the strap just lies over the 'lobby' not blocking the entrance at all

I see. Glad to see someone else believes in hive straps.

Word of cation to others - make sure your hive stands are solid as they will need to support an awful lot of weight in a good year!