# When should you pull honey supers?



## Hoss's BBQ Honey (Apr 25, 2013)

I'm in Decatur Alabama, I have two hives just started this year. (First year Beek) Had one swarm they queen is laying again and they are drawing out comb in the second brood box. The other hive is booming. They filled two deep brood boxes and they have filled one Medium Honey Super which is almost all capped honey now, The second medium super is about full in 8 days, and I am wondering a few things. 
1) Is there enough time to add a third super in my area?
2) When should I be pulling my supers off? (I have heard end of July)
3) For the hive that swarmed I feel they will be able to build up their second box in time for winter. Is this right?
4) I was not expecting any Honey, I have read some post that a 10 frame medium super fully drawn out can produce 3.6# per frame, is that Right?
Thanks everyone's posts they have all been helpful. I dint put this in the 101 forum because I found the SE Tenn nectar flow post here.
Hoss's BBQ Honey


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## spudrocket (Feb 13, 2013)

2) I pull the supers off when they finish capping the honey and it is ready for extracting, no exact date. I don't extract the fall honey so I leave the supers on all winter which allows them to eat the honey when they need to eat. After winter, i extract the rest of the non-eaten honey right before flows begin and make room for more honey.
3)If the hive that swarmed is weak, then i would leave the second box on there and walk away. They can lay brood or store honey whichever they please. 
I can't give you a good answer for 1 or 4


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## Hoss's BBQ Honey (Apr 25, 2013)

I agree about the swarm hive I have no intentions of putting a honey super on that hive. I appreciate the advice and help.


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## casinoken (May 6, 2012)

Hoss, Starkville, MS here. GO DAWGS!!! LOL 1) U can pull the fully capped frames any time u want to extract them as long as u remember to leave enuff honey for the bees to overwinter. 2) I extracted 15 frames 2 weeks ago and got just shy of 5 gallons of clover honey. 3) I go through my mediums frame by frame and pull only the full ones that are capped, I then consolidate frames and return the ones that were not full to the hive. If they are almost full, I add another medium to let them begin to draw out new frames. 4) If u have a booming hive, and u use an extractor, you can return the extracted frames to the hive for the ladies to clean up and refill. HAPPY BEEKEEPING


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## Bees In Miami (Nov 30, 2012)

Hey Hoss...You can certainly add a 3rd super...the bees won't work it if they don't want it. Awesome!!! That was QUICK!!! 
2) Let the bees tell you what to do, not a calendar. When it is at least 70% capped (on _all_ frames) pull it off. If you want a little treat, pull one well capped frame now, and crush and strain. It will be the most wonderful honey you have ever had!! (I strain 3 times...the last time in a Chinois...beautiful clear honey) 
3) Your swarm hive should do just fine. They won't do themselves in by swarming if they don't think they can do what they need to do to survive. They'll be just fine. 
4) I am averaging close to #4 honey per medium frame, so I say your #3.6 is right on.

Congrats once again to the new Dad!  (of daughter, and bees!!!)


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## gbo111 (Jun 13, 2012)

i live in decatur also south side in the flint area. i started my first hive last year.bought 2 nucs and started 2 new hives last week.first hive swarmed on me.dont think i will get much honey off of it this year.where in decatur do you live?


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

As others have written.......I pull when they are mostly capped & I have the time to extract immediately. I pull all supers. Those frames that are not capped to the extent I like, I put back in a super to place back on the hive. Those that I do extract are immediately sprayed with BT as they are pulled from the extractor. They are then placed back in a super, taken near to a yard for the bees to clean. I aim for 8 frame supers in 10 frame equipment. So as I'm pulling from the extractor, I rearrange my supers (if needed) to accommodate 8 drawn frames. I use frame spacers in my supers ... it's just what I like & works for me.


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## Hoss's BBQ Honey (Apr 25, 2013)

I live off of Old Moulton in the Summer Shade division. My Hives are over in the Ceder Ridge area. I started with two nucs I bought off of Bill Mullins in Merdianville. One swarmed the other is doing great. Are your bees still on a nectar flow? I cant believe how quickly they are drawing out and filling the supers up!
Hoss


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## dphillipm (Mar 27, 2013)

Bill has the VHS bees from the Louisiana project. I bought 4 queens from him last week.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

You should pull honey supers when they are 75% capped or better, when you are ready to extract and before you need empty supers to go back on for the next flow.

It's nice if you have three honey supers to go one your hive, if the hive is two deeps. Then when two are full you can pull them and you still have one on the hive while u r getting the two extracted. Then you can put the two extracted supers back on wet and the bees might just fill all three pretty quickly. Least that's what happens here quite often.


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## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

Mark, that's exactly what I do, I'm always short on supers it seems, so I try to extract when they are about 75% or more capped as you say and get them back on the hives the next day or day after and the bees move right into them quickly and if the flow is still good its amazing how fast they can fill em up. John


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Aren't they amazingly industrious creatures?


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## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

Yes they are, and having a surplus of drawn comb for supers is like a stack of gold bars, well almost. I'm having to get Rite Cell drawn right now in all the new supers I put on, we're in the midst of a spectacular honey flow in this area and although the bees are drawing them well, it would sure be nice if they could just be filling combs instead of burning up honey to build em. John


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

It doesn't take as much as you might think.


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## Hoss's BBQ Honey (Apr 25, 2013)

Yes he told me that and I have been doing research on them. I am glad that Lindsey Trousdale told me to buy my splits from Bill!


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## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

Mark, I have heard so many different "guesses" on how much honey it takes to make a pound of wax, most of it is around 8 lbs., but who really knows for sure, I like the sound of 1:1.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Michael Bush.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

Since this is about pulling supers I will ask this here instead of a seperate question. What would you all do if you had an 8 frame med and when you put the second brood box on they filled it with honey ? I didn't want to take any so I put on a 3 med and checkerboarded the top two boxes with empty frames does that sound like the right thing to do


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Harley,
Let me see if I understand. You had a colony of bees in a medium depth super and put another medium depth super on top of it and the bees filled it w/ honey? Then you added another medium depth super, but checker boarded it w/ frames of honey from the second medium depth super? I don't see anything wrong w/ that. The bees will do their thing just fine.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

Yes I run all 8 frame med started a split with a frame of capped brood with a queen cell and one frame of stores they filled out the box so I put another on and instead of expanding the broodnest. They drew out the frames and filled them with honey so I pulled 4 frames and staggered 4 foundationless frames in placed the third box and did the same with the remaining 4 frames of capped honey and 4 more foundationless frames I was shocked that a little med box with brood would put up that much honey so quickly


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## dphillipm (Mar 27, 2013)

Harley Craig said:


> Yes I run all 8 frame med started a split with a frame of capped brood with a queen cell and one frame of stores they filled out the box so I put another on and instead of expanding the broodnest. They drew out the frames and filled them with honey so I pulled 4 frames and staggered 4 foundationless frames in placed the third box and did the same with the remaining 4 frames of capped honey and 4 more foundationless frames I was shocked that a little med box with brood would put up that much honey so quickly


It is hard to get Linsey in the mood to talk,but if you do you will learn some something's.He is a fine craftsman with very reasonable prices.


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## WBVC (Apr 25, 2013)

What is BT and why do you spray your extracted frames with it? ...I am so new to this!


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## Hoss's BBQ Honey (Apr 25, 2013)

dphillipm said:


> It is hard to get Linsey in the mood to talk,but if you do you will learn some something's.He is a fine craftsman with very reasonable prices.


Lindsey has been an amazing help to me! I have brought him pictures of swarm cells and frames and he always answers my questions! I love his craftsmanship.


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## Rusty Hills Farm (Mar 24, 2010)

WBVC said:


> What is BT and why do you spray your extracted frames with it? ...I am so new to this!


WBVC, BtA spray is to help prevent wax moths destroying comb after it's been extracted. Down on the For Sale forum, there is a thread on what it does and how to use it, along with prices if you need to order it. I believe the poster was Sundance. 

HTH

Rusty

edited to add the link: http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?225796-Agree-WG-Bt-Aizawai-Powder


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