Supers, also known as honey supers, are part of a beehive where honey bees store surplus honey. It is placed on top of the hive box or brood chamber. In every super, there are 8 to 10 frames that hold honeycomb. Bees store honey in the comb. Beekeepers prefer to use shallow or medium-sized frames since they are easier to remove and extract honey from. 

Brood boxes mainly comprise ten frames. This is where the colony stores pollen and honey stores for their use. There are also sections set to raise brood. Honey supers play a vital role in a hive by providing room for the colony as it grows in size. When choosing a super for your hive, ensure it will fit well in the equipment you will use to extract honey.  

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How many supers should a hive have?

The number of honey supers required in a hive depends on the bee population and the honey they produce. In times of nectar flow or honey flow, there are abundant blooming flowers, and you may require more supers than usual for bees to store honey. This is the optimum honey production season. In peak season, you can have 3 or 4 supers in the hive.  You can still manage with less if you can harvest in the season. 

 A beekeeper should add a super when 2/3 of the first supper is full of honey. They keep on adding until they are ready to remove a super. A super can be removed when all the frames contain capped honey. Such honey is ready for extraction. Most beehives come with two honey supers. The bees first build comb in the frames before proceeding to store honey. They fill the super from the center and work outwards. 

When do l add a super in my hive?

Adding a super helps to create ample space in the hive and reduce overcrowding. An overcrowded hive is a candidate for swarming. It also helps to maximize honey production. You don’t want your bees to fill honey on a super, and they have no other place to store it. Before adding, you should ensure the hive is full of bees. 

Again, at least 8 of the ten frames in the brood chamber should be full. The bees store honey, and pollen, and raise brood in this chamber. To add a second super, the first super should be 2/3 full. It is advisable not to add a super prematurely in the hive. The hive may not be strong enough to handle the additional extra space. You should add depending on the needs of the colony. 

How long do bees take to fill a super?

This depends on the strength of the hive, nectar availability, space to store honey, types of frames, and prevailing weather conditions. When all factors are favorable, bees will work extremely hard to store as much honey as possible. During the honey flow season, the bees can fill a super in a week. At most, two weeks.  An average colony may take 2 to 4 weeks, while a weak hive may take one to two months. 

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When should l remove the supers?

You can remove the supers anytime as long as the frames have capped honey. Other instances when you remove the super include when feeding the colony with sugar syrup,  carrying out mite treatment in the hive, and when bees are heading to winter.