Honey super timing

[Patrick]

Hi Beemasters,
I have a package starting its second year. The bottom deep is 8 frames brood and the top deep was about 2 frames brood in mid summer until fall when they backed off into the bottom deep and packed the top deep with 8 frames of honey.  I extracted 5 frames a few weeks ago making room for them to hopefully move up into the second deep in spring. My question is..Here in southern California spring has sprung and the peach trees are starting to bloom. When should I put a honey super on? After they have reestablished brood rearing in the top deep? or when they have filled the 8 frames of the empty comb with honey or brood? Or just put it on now. Out temps here have been 40 F and night 65 day, but the warm up is under way and yesterday and today it was 75 F.

Cheers,
Patrick

[DayValleyDahlias]

Patrick what an excellent question! i have almost the same one, as I just looked at the top deep to check for stores...

Plenty of stores, pollen and all...should I add a super at this time so they do not become honey bound?

[Michael Bush]

If the boxes are full of bees and combs, I'd add some boxes in addition to what you are doing to keep some room for the queen to lay.

[Patrick]

Ok Michael,
Thanks, Now… "if the boxes are full of bees" ...I would say in my case they are still down in the bottom deep.  The last two months I had not observed more that the single wanderer up inspecting the honey stored in the upper deep. Now just today, as it is suddenly 75 F, I have seen a bunch in the upper box. But the general population and activity is so far still in the lower box.  They have been up there cleaning up the extracted combs but I would NOT say the second deep is FULL of bee. Does this change my course of action?
Cheers,
Patrick

[Brian D. Bray]

Ok Michael,
Thanks, Now… "if the boxes are full of bees" ...I would say in my case they are still down in the bottom deep.  The last two months I had not observed more that the single wanderer up inspecting the honey stored in the upper deep. Now just today, as it is suddenly 75 F, I have seen a bunch in the upper box. But the general population and activity is so far still in the lower box.  They have been up there cleaning up the extracted combs but I would NOT say the second deep is FULL of bee. Does this change my course of action?
Cheers,
Patrick

Use what commanly referred to as the 7/10 rule.  When 7 out of 10 frames are full of bees and brood/honey then add a new super or 2.  In your case this would apply to the upper box.

[Michael Bush]

It's probably a good time to checkboard where you are.  If you have some drawn empty combs (preferably) or even some frames of foundation, you can alternate them with the honey overhead to head off swarming later.

http://www.beesource.com/pov/wright/bcfeb02.htm
http://www.beesource.com/pov/wright/
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesexperiment.htm

[Patrick]

Thanks Beemasters for all the support.
Regarding checker boarding.. I have read and... in a sense is what i think I am setting up.  Although I did not checker board per say.  I was left at the end of fall with 8 frames of brood in the lower deep and (after they moved down for winter) 10 frames of caped honey in the upper deep. A few weeks ago with spring on my mind I extracted 5 frames from the center and replaced (back in the center) the empty comb for clean up. This I hope will make space for the bees to move up into. My thinking was they will move up into the center where they were last summer?   I left five frames of honey on the outer frames for them to have. So now I guess I must wait until they start to move up and occupy 7 frames of the upper before I add a honey super?

High today 78F low 43F 

I tip my veil to you sirs,
Thank you for your patience.
I can almost hear the old timers now..."That youngster is as thick as January honey"

Cheers,
Patrick