5.2 Supering

What is supering? A "super" is a box for honey storage, and to super is to place this box on the hive. Supering is typically done during spring and possibly fall.

Supering is necessary not only for honey storage, but also to hold the incoming nectar in spring and fall. 50%–80% of nectar is water, and until it is evaporated, it takes up a lot of comb space. In contrast, ripe honey has less than 18% moisture.

Not adding enough supers can put constraints on brood rearing and honey storage.  It also can contribute to congestion in the hive, leading to swarming.

Types of Supers: Overview

Supers come in different sizes and are always added above the brood nest, because in a natural hive the brood is on the bottom and honey is stored above.

There are four terms that beekeepers use concerning supering:

• Top supering—placing a super on top of the hive
• Bottom supering—placing a super at the bottom of the supers (still above the brood nest)
• Undersupering—using fewer supers
• Oversupering—using more supers

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Quantity and Size of Supers

The number of supers needed depends on the strength of the colony and nectar flow, both of which can vary from year to year. However, the rule of thumb is oversuper in spring and undersuper in fall.

Nectar flows are usually stronger in spring, requiring more storage space. More supers and empty combs encourage foraging and honey production in the spring and also reduce swarming. On the other hand, few supers make the colony consolidate its stores in the fall and prepare for winter.

The rule of thumb is oversuper in spring, undersuper in fall.

Any hive body can be used as a super. Sizes vary from shallow or section comb supers to deep supers. Supers will eventually need to be moved, so the physical strength of the person moving the hives should be considered in addition to the expected quantity of surplus.

Hints on Supering

• Try to prevent the queen from laying eggs in the honey supers; brood is difficult to deal with when extracting honey. Queen excluders can help, but a full honey super directly above the brood nest can also prevent the queen from moving into the supers above because she won't want to split the brood nest.
• Before adding supers, ensure that the colony is strong and that there is a nectar flow or a pending nectar flow; otherwise, the hive may suffer a wax moth invasion.
• It's time to add another super when the previous one is 1/2–2/3 full.
• Add a super when you see freshly secreted white wax, or "whiting," along the lower edge of the top bar.