Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: SteveSC on May 17, 2007, 10:17:31 AM

Title: super rotational stacking...
Post by: SteveSC on May 17, 2007, 10:17:31 AM

Last yr. I just stacked the supers 1-2-3-4-5,etc - never rotating them up or down.  This yr. I'm going to rotate them.  From what I've read it gives the bees better access to the supers and makes for more consistently full capped honey frames. 

I'm just curious how many people here follow the rotational guide to stacking supers.  I guess when you do rotate the supers you have more opportunities to inspect the hive for anything unusual.
Title: Re: super rotational stacking...
Post by: kgbenson on May 17, 2007, 10:19:30 AM
Are these drawn or undrawn?  If they are drawn, slap 3-4 on there from the get go.  Bees abhor empty comb, they also need a lot of room to store the dilute nectar for evaporation.  I think there have been some studies that show that there is little advantage to mixing up supers and rotaing them.

Keith
Title: Re: super rotational stacking...
Post by: Brian D. Bray on May 17, 2007, 06:19:28 PM
My rotation of super is very simple, remove top super, place on new super, put top super back on top.  That way there is always bees and honey above the super to drawn the bees into and through it.  In nearly 50 years of beekeeping I've never found a need to do it any other way.
Title: Re: super rotational stacking...
Post by: Michael Bush on May 17, 2007, 11:27:58 PM
With drawn comb I've never seen any difference.  I put them on top because it's easier and, in a flow, the bees don't seem to care.
Title: Re: super rotational stacking...
Post by: doak on May 18, 2007, 12:46:58 AM
I get better results when putting drawn on and up.
Better results from the bees, putting foundation on next to the brood.
I get better results, "for myself", when I don't have to lift full supers up. WHY?
I have 3 degenerative vertibre. thats why.
doak