> I am looking at 3 per hive,

If your boxes are all foundation, as is often the case with those 
building up, fewer supers are needed --at least until they are drawn 
out, as there is much more room in a super of foundation than there is a 
in a super of drawn comb.

 >  since some just never get going and others just
 > explode.

That makes me wonder.  Why is that?  Are you not caring for them and 
managing their diseases and other problems?

Of course, we don't know where you are located, and that has a huge 
bearing on everything.

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