Supers and Ergonomics
Supers and Ergonomics
2026-06-04
About Supers
- Short for "Honey Super" which are the boxes we place on top of brood chambers to collect honey
- Could be deeps, mediums, or shallows
- They weigh a lot when full
When to Super
- To deter swarms you super when the brood chamber is 60-80% full
- For more honey:
- If you have drawn comb, wait until 70-80% full
- If not, maybe a little sooner
Don't Super
- If there isn't a flow
- If your colony is struggling
Putting supers on "too early" or when not required invites pests because there aren't enough bees to deal with it.
Hives are not storage facilities
Checkerboarding
For Wax Production
- You can alternate drawn frames with new frames
- Sometimes helps bees fill them out.
- You can also pull undrawn from the outside and bring them to the middle
For Honey
- Put half as many frames in a super with a 1-frame gap between
- On the next super do the same, but alternate the spacing
- Fans think this encourages the bees and makes them more productive
Life Happens
You'll need more supers than you have.
If you buy them in anticipation, you'll never need them.
Go figure.
Ergonomics
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Tips and Tricks
- Never set the hive tool down
- Stand supers upright, wax and propolis will hold it (Unless your just broke it)
- Use your outer cover to set things on while you work
- You can write on your hives to keep notes
- You can keep a notebook in your hive too
- You can sit while you inspect your hives.