At 03:26 PM 5/17/96 +0000, you wrote:
>I have heard a couple of different methods of supering. I have been told
>to wait till all of the frames are drawn completly then add another
>super, and some say to super when they have drawn 7 frames. Also is top
>or bottom suppering better?
>--
>***************************
>* Charles (Rick) Grubbs   *
>* [log in to unmask]       *
>* Douglasville, Ga SE USA *
>***************************
>
Hi Rick
 
I live in Chattanooga just north of you.  If I'm supering with foundation, I
wait until the first super is just about completely drawn before adding the
next super.  If you put the foundation on to soon they will chew it and
sometimes destroy it.  I don't know if they are trying to get more wax for
the first super or what.  If it is late in the season and the foundation is
not drawn, they will often rework it into drone cell size.  If the bees are
filling the comb as fast as they are drawing it, then you want the
foundation on about the time they start drawing the last two frames.
 
If I am using drawn comb, I just go ahead and give them 3 or 4 supers
according to the strength of the colony.  Just to give an example.  I have a
colony of Yugos which I wintered in 2 deeps then split this spring.  The
parent colony's population has since exploded and they are making honey
faster than any other colony I have.  I split them the third week in April
and gave them 2 supers of drawn comb, one heavily damaged from extraction.
They filled the first one quickly, repaired the damaged one and started
filling it.  I gave them a third super in the middle of the third week and
they immediately started working in it.  Last weekend I gave them a supper
of foundation just to stay ahead.  They are now sealing the first super,
completing the filling of the second, starting to fill the third and
starting to fill the forth.  I certainly wish I had many colonies like this
one.  Life would be so much easier.
 
So I guess this is a long winded way of saying that you should take what you
read here as good advise to be used a pointers.  Read what others do, but
pick the method that suits you, the conditions in your area and the
condition of your bees.
 
Frank Humphrey
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