juggling supers?

[Bee Happy]

I wasn't facing this last year, so I just had this occur to me.
assuming things go beautifully and the bees just go to town making honey; also assuming they exceed my ability to supply supers (2 hives 4, maybe 5 6-3/8" 10 framers):
(counting the hive produced from splitting make that number a hard 4 supers - for their personal winter supply)
I want to know if it is possible to remove a single full honey super and replace it with an empty one - to harvest the honey and have the formerly full super(s) standing by to reinstall if needed. the biggest part of the question is - is it ok to swap a full super for an empty super, or will that mess up their stride (they would have to make the wax on starter strips either way).

[iddee]

I would harvest a super and put it back on the same day. That way you don't pass any possible disease on to another hive if you forget which one came from where.

[Bee Happy]

illness hadn't occurred to me, thanks for the warning.

[D Coates]

I harvest 3 times a year.  I take the full supers off and leave the noncapped ones on.  I it does not seem to affect their stride at all especially if there's a flow going on.  I get the emptied supers back on the hives the same day.  I don't really worry about what hive the super came from.  Unless I suspect a disease I assume they are all healthy.  I remember what hives had how many and replace the appropriate numbers though.

[harvey]

Ok so I have a question on suppering too.  Last year I only put one super on my new swarm hive,(only hive).  It did fill it and capped about 8 frames.  Now this year the hive is really packed with bees and seems to be doing well.  When should I add super and how many?   Is there a reason to put more than one at a time on if I can extract the first one and reinstall it?  I have enough supers right now to put two on each hive.  I am putting two new hives up this year from packages and am trying to catch swarms.

[doak]

If you have a good nectar flow just getting started It doesn't hurt to put 2 on, if you cannot get back to it within 8 or 10 days go ahead and put 3 on. "if" your colony Is strong.
I have had a colony fill a medium super in 5 days, all capped.
They may rob a little wax but other wise no hurt. If they happen to fill that third one then you have the honey. If it wasn't on, well-----.  Giving plenty room when needed is also part of swarm prevention/control:)doak