# how many supers do you own per hive? advice for newbee purchase



## af_newbie (Feb 9, 2011)

I started beekeeping on May 21st this year with 5 hives (deep 9" brood and 
super boxes). Based on what I have seen to date, you need 4-5 deep supers 
per hive. I have one hive with 5 boxes, one with 4, three with 3 boxes so far.
All deeps, and after two hives were split.

I have two boxes with plywood bottoms to store tools, put frames in while I 
work on the hives.

Note: prepare boxes, paint them, make frames and put foundations in before 
season starts. Once bees start working, it will be hard to keep up with them. 
At least that was my experience. Have some spare boxes, bottoms, tops for 
transport and splitting. Check your brood nest every week and if brood is 
capped move it up and put new frames in. Trust me, you'll need more 
than you think.


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## alpha6 (May 12, 2008)

For planning purposes we figure three supers per hive. Two to harvest off and one to place on while these are extracted. However, I think it would depend on your operation. If you can pull and extract the same day you can get by with just one or two.


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

In my area there is only one flow that results in harvest-able honey (usually) - about 6 weeks starting in May. So almost everyone extracts one time after the flow is over.

When nectar is coming in fast they will fill a lot of space with open nectar, but then as it cures they consolidate it downward into the lower supers - but they need the extra space so they can do that. The conventional wisdom here is that you need 5 supers to get 3 filled with finished honey.

I've seen them stacked 7 feet high.

Having a few extra supers is a lot less inconvenient than having too few.


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## willyC (May 6, 2010)

I've only been bee keeping long enough to know that I have never been able to plan for the un-planned. Catching 2 swarms in one week taught me that, one hive of overachievers reinforced the lesson. I was under equipped and under the gun for two weeks, finally caught up but still not in a comfortable place.
At one time I planned on all med 8 frame, I'm over that now with a deep hive box and 3 - 4 med supers... for now. 
I planned for two hives I have 4 now.


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## hoodswoods (May 15, 2009)

Here in the south, both my mentor & some of keepers in the club have done supers 7 high (a couple this year). This year on my single deeps, I have pulled 1 medium and 1 super - so I figure 3 min. On my double deeps +, which I've also done spring splits. I've pulled 2 mediums & 2 supers - so maybe 5 to 6 supers. Somewhere between 1 & 9... that's a good guess.

I would see if you could get Michael Palmer to respond to you - he's in your area and could probably give you a more localized opinion - we do things different down here - but both Alpha6 and David gave good advice.


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## hoodswoods (May 15, 2009)

I think most would agree that it is as easy to lose half (or all) of everything (bees) you started with one year, and then double what you started with the next. Not having equipment, of the right size and especially drawn comb, is one way to limit your expansion, but most keepers I know don't think that way - just don't split, package or nuc next year if you have too many bees, yea, right.


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## Andrew Dewey (Aug 23, 2005)

I would start with three per hive in your area. After you have those all drawn out, you might think of adding more. But going from foundation to drawn comb in your honey supers may take some time (more than one season even).


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## beyondthesidewalks (Dec 1, 2007)

Takes time and it's different for drawn vs. undrawn comb in your supers. I probably have three fully drawn empty supers per hive stored inside over the winter after they have been cycled through the freezer to kill pests. If you have no drawn comb it might be less. Might not need any if it's your first year. You don't want to run short so always keep extra woodenware availble. You never know when that fantastic flow, swarm or cut-out opportunity will come knocking.

You also have to decide how many hives you want to manage and draw that line. Seems like I always grow by a hive or two and then have to contract to keep the numbers down.


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## fish_stix (May 17, 2009)

Minimum of 3 supers per hive, some will take more, some less. We just pulled honey off last week and had one hive that had, besides the double deep brood boxes, 2 more deeps and 3 mediums, all full and capped. But don't forget to add nucs and hive bodies too. You'll need to catch swarms, at least the ones from your own hives, and make splits, unless you have no plans to expand.


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## Adrian Quiney WI (Sep 14, 2007)

Fish Stix makes a goo point about the spare nuc's and hive bodies. I find my bees want to make swarms even if I don't want them to, so I make splits.


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

Same hear as most, 3 honey supers per hive. We harvested 3 times last year, & twice the year before.
We have about a dozen 5 frame nucs, & several extra deeps.
Last year we had about 40 swarm calls around town, this year caught at least a dozen without being on a swarm list. I always think I have enough equipment, but am always proven wrong.


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## Virginia Bee (May 20, 2010)

3-4 supers per hive should be all you need.


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

So I use deeps for my 3rd box. I also have 2 meds to put on each box plus I keep 2 deeps around per. So I always have extra boxes to use to build more colonies or super or........ Much more flexibility. I paint 5 things every night. And I mean every night so I always am building making, painting or something and stock pile it for use next week or next year.


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