# So I supered my hive.



## mxr618 (Apr 23, 2008)

I built a super, 24 bars with a nice window. I lifted the lid, threw it on and three days later...they have ignored it. Badly. 

I think I will give them a couple of days to see if I can get them going but if not, I'll take it off in apiarian humility.

I'll post up photos tomorrow. 

My new bee gear comes from Rossman tomorrow so I'll get the smoker out and if I don't burn down the back yard, will finally pull a bar and replace it with a blank.


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

Is the hive body under the super full of bees?
Try moving a frame of unsealed brood up into your new super.


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## Hambone (Mar 17, 2008)

Post some pics of that. I would like to see that.


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## Aram (May 9, 2006)

Unsealed brood might work. Closing their entrance and forcing them to go in and out through the super should also help. Do you have frames with foundation in the super? If not won't the bees ignore the bars and start building from the "bottom" bars upwards. This is a concern I have but I don't have any experience with supering TBHs so I'll let others advice.
Good luck,
Aram


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## mxr618 (Apr 23, 2008)

*Photos of the super*

Here are the photos of the super. You'll see what I mean. I need to make the super about three inches deeper, it is too shallow right now.

The video files are pretty cool -- it's like that every afternoon!


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## Hambone (Mar 17, 2008)

The pics didn't load.


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## mxr618 (Apr 23, 2008)

*whoops*

http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll155/mxr618/Bees/


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## Hambone (Mar 17, 2008)

Cool Pics. What is the depth? Since it does not have sloped sides, you may want to make it so it will fit medium lang frames. How is the flow in the windy city area? That might make a differance if they use it or not. Either way I like it. Good job.


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## mxr618 (Apr 23, 2008)

I have no idea where they are getting pollen from. I have nothing but carpenter bees in my wife's flowers and nothing on the clover I left for them. Nothing on the sage. There were a couple on a white tea rose that bloomed for two days. The pollen is white or yellow on them. 

They are going nutso and are very happy and docile. Experienced beekeepers that come visit my hive tell me that I got a crackerjack package and they are very happy and healthy. I wouldn't know. 

The depth is 6 and something inches, the same as a shallow lang.

One of my friends backstopped the recommendations to pull up a bar of brood and a bar of honey and the hive would start to split. If a queen didn't happen I could purchase one. Seems logical. Still haven't gotten my smoker from Rossman and there's no way I'm pulling bars without smoke. <insert chicken noise>

Can't wait for honey and wax!

It's funny, I was worried that the electrical inspector who has to come visit my shed (when it gets built) would notice a hive and bust me -- that's why I made a tbh. Yeah. If he shows up around three in the afternoon he'd probably run for his life!


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## Bucherbees (Aug 14, 2007)

Nice pictures! I was wondering if the window (which is too cool!) would be bothering the bees since light comes into the hive. We are building a top bar hive and would love to put some glass in for observation.
Lilo


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## Hambone (Mar 17, 2008)

I don't have a window, but everything I have read about it seems to say it causes no problems. Just make sure you close it when your done looking.


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## mxr618 (Apr 23, 2008)

The window is a rabbeted plug so it stops the light from coming in at all. They don't mind having it open (I do it every day).

If I'm standing in their way, they'll bump into me on their way by. When the bumps increase in frequency I'll button up the window and give them some space.

I've got three bars out of 24 that don't have comb on them. The order I placed with Rossman in GA last Thursday STILL hasn't shipped yet so I can't pull up brood and honey into the super (my smoker is in the order). 

Once I do that, it will really get interesting.


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## Hambone (Mar 17, 2008)

You might want to call Dadant. They have one in Watertown, WI. and Hamilton, IL. Depending on what you ordered you might be able to get them to ship it out tommorow and cancel your other order. The one thing I have learned with ordering supply's is to look at there online catalog, write down the part numbers you want, and then call them to order and talk to someone. Works much better IMO. 

21 bars with comb thus far is great. I am close. I think my first hive has 19 and my second about 12. And from the looks of your pics the are going gang busters. Remember when you do that inspection to be careful with the comb that is attached to the window and the other side. $1.00 long razor blade works great.


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## mxr618 (Apr 23, 2008)

the last three combs are across at least two bars, which will make their removal interesting.

You are right about Dadant. My mother in law grew up near Hamilton and she says she remembers a showroom there. We have to go 'down home' (I love that expression) to visit with her friends this summer. Bet your hive I'm bringing a shopping list!


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## Hambone (Mar 17, 2008)

I had some bars connected last week too. I pulled the 2 bars put them in the back and closed the rest of the hive with a follower board. Used my razor blade and trimed them up and returned them back.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

The only time I had luck with supering a top bar hive is when I force them THROUGH the super to get to the hive.


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## mxr618 (Apr 23, 2008)

*What a mess!*

I finally received my smoker from Rossman along with the canvass gloves. These two items made me feel comfortable opening up the hive, which I hadn't done in six weeks. 

Here's what happened:

1. the last four bars had comb drawn across them. They were also glued in place which made getting them out a chore.

2. I lost a bar of brood and honey as it collapsed off the bar. I got it out and on a plate (more on that later).

3. Either the smoker worked far beyond my expectations or the bees simply didn't care I was there. Some days they whack me in the head on their way by to let me know I've been standing there too long...some days when I wear the veil they come up and hit me in the face netting. Today, with my terrible job on the smoker, they ducked back into the hive (from the top) and waited for me to go away. The incoming bees didn't care and didn't stop flowing in and out of the hive.

4. The comb that got away from me leaked larvae and honey all over. The bees that jumped on it started eating the honey right up.

5. I took the three bars that I got out (fresh comb, no honey) and put them in the super. The comb that collapsed (with the brood and honey) I placed on the top bars in front of the super. I did this knowing I'd never take the first ten bars out of the hive body. When I checked them this evening, the hive has a big beard (which is natural) and for the first time since I supered the hive, workers are inspecting the super's bars. Whether they start building comb is another mattter.

6. I was under the mistaken impression that the last few bars would hold nothing but honey. I learned today that they all have brood on them.

7. Ultimately, I was able to get a small bit of comb and three or four tablespoons of honey. It was fabulous.

8. Next up: I bought some pheramones from Rossman and I have two nucs complete so I thought I'd try luring a swarm. We'll see.

Pix tomorrow, I'm pretty wiped out.


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## Aram (May 9, 2006)

Title... and ten days later.


mxr618 said:


> So I supered my hive...
> .........................................................................................................................
> ...
> 7. Ultimately, I was able to get a small bit of comb and three or four tablespoons of honey. It was fabulous.
> ...


LOL I know how you feel. The work is hard enough but working and learning... it's just exhausting. I'm still there too and enjoying every day of it.
Aram


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## Phaedrus (May 25, 2008)

According to the show on RFD TV the queen likes to build upward rather than horizontally and when given space will go upward. Hence the excluders used between the shallow supers on langstroth hives.


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