It's alway better to have supers on hand, and place more on your hive than you think you'll need. Do you need to add a honey super to your hive? Hello, we are David and Sheri Burns operating Long Lane Honey Bee Farms. Thanks for stopping by to learn more about beekeeping and how to buybeekeeping equipment.
This lesson is about honey supers, placed on top of the brood boxes. These supers are where the bees place honey that you can take off of the hive.
The Super
In lesson one we took a look at the placement of a hive, the hive stand and the bottom board. Then, in our last lesson, we examined the deep hive body.
Today, let's take a look at the honey super. Some new beekeepers pronounce "super" incorrectly, calling it a "supper", like what you eat at night. It only has one "p", so it is pronounced the same as when you say, "super size it please." These are the supers we place on hives with the intent to remove whatever honey the bees store in these supers above their brood nest area, trusting they have plenty of stored honey in the deep hive bodies for winter.
The width (16 1/4") and depth (19 7/8") will be the same for all boxes, including the honey super. The difference with the super is the height. There are three sizes used for honey supers. Beekeepers with strong backs sometimes use the deep size, 9 5/8" in height. A very common size is 6 5/8" in height. This is also called the Illinois super or a medium super. Then there is the small super. It is 5 5/8" tall.
Here's a picture of all three sizes, side by side.
As you can see, the only difference is the height, which is very critical, because the greater the height, the larger the frame in height, and the larger the frame, the more honey it can hold. Therefore, a deep super full of honey can weight close to 70 pounds. A medium close to 50 pounds and a small 30 pounds. We only build and sell medium supers because it is more commonly used by the average beekeeper.
There are some limitations when using the small super. There is no plastic foundation made for that size super. And, during a heavy nectar flow, you will have to super your hives more frequently. Also, it takes the same amount of time to uncap a small super as it does a deep or medium super. And, you get a lot less honey from a small super for the same amount of work. In an upcoming lesson, we'll discuss when and how to add supers. But for now, we are merely getting familiar with the hive components.
Some beekeepers use only 8 or 9 frames in a honey super, while others use all 10. It does make a difference. Obviously, if you use 9 frames, the comb on each frame will be drawn out wider by the bees, thus making much more space for the honey. It is true that a 9 frame super will usually contain more honey than a 10 frame because all nine frames are larger and can hold a total that exceeds 10 smaller drawn frames. Wider combs are easier to uncap because the comb exceeds past the wooden frame, allowing the uncapping knife to ride along the wooden frame as a guide and uncapping all cells. Sometimes if the frames are not pulled out past the wooden frame edge, the uncapping knife cannot uncap the recessed cells. In our hives some have a total of 9 and some have a total of 10 frames.
To help achieve the 9 frame spacing, a metal frame rest is used. This frame rest is different from the plain frame rest in that it actually has notches to hold each of the 9 frames, giving a perfect spacing between all 9 frames. Be prepared for a few challenges with 9 frame spacers. First, you cannot slide your frames horizontally as they are held tightly in the notches. There are times when you need to slide your frames. But if you use 9 frame spacers, you will have to lift them straight up and out to move them. Secondly, the various gaps around the metal notching gets pretty gunked up with propolis, giving nice hiding places for wax moth or small hive beetle to hide and lay eggs. If you don't have problems with these pests, then it's not an issue. Notice the build up of propolis in this picture on a 9 frame spacer rail below.
We'll discuss supering a hive in a future lesson, but for now, you can place as many supers on your hive as your bees want to fill up. I typically have at least 2-3 supers on my hives during the Spring and Summer.
Our next lesson will be the two final pieces to the hive, the inner cover and the outer cover.
To place an order, feel free to call us at: 217-427-2678.
FAQs
A honey super is a part of a commercial or other managed (such as by a hobbyist) beehive that is used to collect honey. The most common variety is the "Illinois" or "medium" super with a depth of 65⁄8 inches, in the length and width dimensions of a Langstroth hive.
What is the difference between a brood box and a honey super? ›
Heavy honey supers are mediums, while lighter brood boxes are deeps. Bees fill deeps with honey for the winter, but you typically do not lift those heavy boxes until spring, when the honey has all been eaten.
Is honey super healthy? ›
Honey Benefits
Honey contains antioxidants, which can protect the body from inflammation. Inflammation can lead to a variety of health issues, including heart disease, cancer, and autoimmune disorders.
What is the honey super effect? ›
Honey: Prevents the target from moving for one turn. Ink: Prevents the target from using their weapons for one turn. Freeze: Prevents the target from using their techniques for one turn, and also pauses the cooldowns for the target's techniques until the Freeze wears off.
When should I add my honey super? ›
The ideal time to add a super is during periods of natural population growth (typically, the spring), before or during a honey flow (spring or summer), or during periods of swarming (again, typically the spring).
What happens if you put a honey super on too early? ›
But be aware, it's not a case of just adding supers very early in the year, before the spring flows. If you add them too early it will set them back due to increased heating requirements in the hive. Add them too late and they will swarm due to restricted space in the hive.
How many honey supers can you put on a hive? ›
If you are leaving on vacation, it is ok to place two supers if you are in a high nectar flow in your area. The only problem with placing two or more new supers is the colony will get unorganized. Now some news about forgetting your hive during a nectar flow and you have not placed a new super on your hive.
Can you feed bees with honey supers on? ›
To clarify, a beekeeper should never feed sugar syrup to bees when they have a honey super in place.
How long does it take a hive to fill a honey super? ›
It depends entirely on conditions. If nectar availability dries up the bees will remove honey from the frames to survive. Typically though it would be reasonable to expect a super to fill in a month or two under average conditions.
What does honey do for men? ›
A 2021 review of several studies in humans and animals found that honey may help men with erectile dysfunction by improving erections due to vasodilation effects. It may also improve daily sperm production and lifespan, and restore testosterone levels.
Diabetes: Using large amounts of honey might increase blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Honey contains sugar and should be used in moderation. Pollen allergies: Avoid honey if you are allergic to pollen. Honey, which is made from pollen, may cause allergic reactions.
Is honey a super good? ›
Honey contains powerful antioxidants.
But in amounts typically consumed (let's say about 1 tablespoon), honey is not considered a “good source” of any of these vitamins and minerals. It has less than 1 percent of your recommended daily allowance (RDA) per serving.
What is the purpose of a honey super? ›
A super is an additional box added to the top of a beehive, usually containing frames where bees store surplus honey. It provides the bees with more space to store honey, especially during peak nectar flow periods.
How deep are honey supers? ›
Super is short for superstructure, which refers to the boxes placed on a beehive for bees to store honey. Historically, a super was always a medium, 6 5/8-inch tall box, or a shallow 5 3/4-inch tall box. Both are traditionally referred to as supers, exclusive of the deep 9 5/8-inch box on the hive's bottom.
How much honey does a honey super produce? ›
a guideline: o A shallow super will typically yield between 25 and 30 pounds of honey, or 2 to 2 ½ gallons. o A medium (6 5/8”) depth super will typically yield between 35 and 40 pounds, or 3 to 4 gallons. o A full-depth box will typically yield between 60 and 70 pounds, or 5 to 6 gallons. o The estimates will allow ...
What can you do with honey supers? ›
The vast majority of our beekeepers prefer to store their empty supers “dry,” meaning the bees had time to clean off any remaining honey. Many beekeepers clean up their supers by putting them back on the hive, preferably the hive from where they came. The super(s) are placed over the inner cover, under the top cover.
How much honey do you get from one honey super? ›
a guideline: o A shallow super will typically yield between 25 and 30 pounds of honey, or 2 to 2 ½ gallons. o A medium (6 5/8”) depth super will typically yield between 35 and 40 pounds, or 3 to 4 gallons. o A full-depth box will typically yield between 60 and 70 pounds, or 5 to 6 gallons. o The estimates will allow ...
How many frames do you put in a honey super? ›
Additionally, depending on their size, supers are designed to hold eight or ten frames. Supers can be used as brood chambers which are also designed to hold eight or ten frames. Since the larger and deeper super is so heavy when full, many people opt to use a medium-sized super instead.
Why aren't my bees using the honey super? ›
Here are the most common reasons your bees aren't filling your supers with honey. The hive isn't strong enough. This is, by far, the most common reason. If your top brood box isn't 80% full of bees and pretty full of brood and honey, they aren't going to put much in your super.
As you can see, the only difference is the height, which is very critical, because the greater the height, the larger the frame in height, and the larger the frame, the more honey it can hold. Therefore, a deep super full of honey can weight close to 70 pounds. A medium close to 50 pounds and a small 30 pounds. We only build and sell medium supers because it is more commonly used by the average beekeeper.
