How tall to stack?

Sundog · August 02, 2011, 11:10:29 PM

I had a Langstroth with a deep brood an excluder and a medium super. I fed over the winter and, during the early summer, the colony got strong and they stuffed the super full. After harvesting the super recently I added another deep brood section and another medium super. I mixed new frames and foundation into all the boxes.

Recently, I met a veteran Florida Beek and he advised me to split the hive, stating that "most people in Florida go with one brood box and one super". So I have built another SBB and a stand and will separate them in the next week or two.

I suppose each configuration has pros and cons. Vertical being more difficut to work, more hives easier to work but use up more space. Mine are in my backyard and if I add too many more hives, I may need to move out my wife to make room. Oh well, she's not the Layer she used to be anyway. ;)

Wish I was certain of what to do.

Have fun!

iddee · August 02, 2011, 11:22:56 PM

How high do you want to go? This is Redbee in S. Dakota.

http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/cc506/VAbeekeeper/Bruce%20Hanson%20AKA%20Redbee%20Bee%20Yard/IMAG0150.jpg

Bee-Bop · August 02, 2011, 11:24:51 PM

Quote from: Sundog link=topic=34211.msg281990#msg281990 date=1312337429
I may need to move out my wife to make room. Oh well, she's not the Layer she used to be anyway. ;)
/quote]

You may want to keep them not very High !!

Because if your WIFE see's this your going to be packing it barefooted down the sidewalk with it strapped to your back, as your are looking for a place, were you and the hive can both stay !! ;)

Bee-Bop

Michael Bush · August 03, 2011, 01:04:14 AM

In a bumper crop year I put supers on with a step ladder...

D Coates · August 03, 2011, 12:50:41 PM

I have one hive that I had to do that with this year. I forgot my step ladder during harvest. A capped 10 frame super (9 frames) is very awkward when it's over your head.

njoylife10 · August 03, 2011, 05:06:34 PM

Darn, I've never needed more than two supers....wish I had your guys problem. But then again. I'm still pretty new.

downhome

Javin · August 03, 2011, 05:14:06 PM

If I had to guess (I've never had that problem, so I don't know for sure, and haven't done any research on it) I'd think that the more supers, the stronger the hive. The stronger the hive, the better chance of surviving the winter (though the more chance of starving out, so be careful there, too).

Just my 2 cents.

Sundog · August 03, 2011, 07:00:05 PM

Okay, now I am more confused than ever. Firstly, I think wintering is not a big problem in this area, other than a few cold nights. I believe most Citrus trees bloom in the winter as do strawberries and other things, although not too many strawberries this close to the Gulf.

So what is an optimal configuration for this area (West Central FL, Pinells County)? One deep brood and one or more medium super; two broods two supers, harvest when full and rotate?

Having fun!

Hooray! I can post photos!

L Daxon · August 04, 2011, 01:04:10 PM

I may be wrong, but I thought all boxes, regardless of size, that contain brood are called brood boxes and all boxes, regardless of size (deeps, mediums, or shallows) that contain mostly stored honey are called supers. You wouldn't call a box containing brood a supper???????

BlueBee · August 04, 2011, 01:33:47 PM

Nice looking hive Sundog!

11nick · August 04, 2011, 05:15:13 PM

Okay...
gotta ask a rookie question.
looking at this photo link which was posted above by iddee....

This is not what I was expecting to see. I'm just educating myself on bees before I get into keeping, so I'm not sure what I was expecting to see..... but this wasn't what I thought would be normal procedure with supers.
As the bees fill the supers, you just keep continuing to stack more supers on? You don't cycle full frames out of one or two supers? You just leave the full supers on and keep adding more on top?
When and how do you eventually remove all those supers? wait til the end of season and smoke the top super, driving the bees into the super below; remove those frames and super, then repeat with all the supers on the hive until you get down to the excluder?

Sorry to interrupt your conversation with a newbie question.
have a great day!

bud1 · August 04, 2011, 05:44:22 PM

11nick; redbee is running 4500 hives right now so he cant pull individual frames, but you can whenever you want to. they use a fume pad and beego to force the bees down. one person poping tops and slapping a fume board and others popping supers and stacking supers on pallete to hall back to the honey house. he is going to post pictures of that sooner or later

iddee · August 04, 2011, 05:47:28 PM

Nick, all beekeeping is local. That pic is in S.D. In N.C., you wouldn't get that much honey in 3 years. It all depends on your bees and what they have to work.

I remove any and all fully capped supers when I find them. Redbee couldn't possibly do that with 4500 hives. He stacks supers and harvests at the end of the flow.

rgy · August 05, 2011, 11:12:39 AM

iddee, what is in SD that produces so much nectar?

Jim134 · August 05, 2011, 08:07:55 PM

Quote from: rgy on August 05, 2011, 11:12:39 AM
iddee, what is in SD that produces so much nectar?

Can I say LOTS and LOTS of sweet clover and alfafa and location location did I say
location

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

REDBEE · August 05, 2011, 08:40:29 PM

4000 hives 10 lb honey a day= 40,000 lb honey a day=400,0000 lb.honey in ten days in a perfect world to bad its not

splitrock · August 05, 2011, 11:27:08 PM

Dang Redbee!!! That is a great looking yard.

Hope mine get to looking like that in the future. Too much of my stuff is new, so my bees have had to draw a lot of comb............ But, they are getting it done, and putting up some fine honey too. I'm already looking forward to next year when I have a lot more drawn comb.

Are you the guy in Redfield?

Joel

preston39 · August 06, 2011, 10:57:03 AM

Redbee....ditto on the nice yard.

What advantage do you realize with the stacks vs. seperate ..2 or 3 unit set up?

REDBEE · August 06, 2011, 11:19:20 AM

Yep im in Redfield, pheasant capital of the world ,don't quite understand the question on units.They are stacked so high because the flow is so fast and heavy and so many bees to super ,the only way to stay ahead of the bees. Move a yard to sunflowers this morning ,try to get some pictures.

JP · August 06, 2011, 11:54:07 AM

Stacking a few to several hives is OK but nothing the average backyarder wants to do without owning a lift or other heavy duty machinery such as a fork lift. There's really no need or benefit in stacking hives to the moon. I pull frames/supers enough to keep things manageable while giving them ample room to store honey. At least that's my goal in most years. Sometimes I don't have the time however for maximum yields and my bees may winter with more stores than they should which is not necessarily a bad thing if winter happens to be more severe than normal.

Stacking them way up looks cool but comes with a price.

...JP

https://picasaweb.google.com/pyxicephalus/May142009#5335999341800174578