[trubulator]

Nope. You get what you get based on colony health, local conditions, rainfall, etc.

 

[trubulator]

I do not usually harvest honey in the fall. Not knowing how much they might need to carry them through the coming winter months.

Out of 10 frames if only 5 had honey and none of them were filled, I would think that they did not produce enough honey to get them safely to the next year.

Do you leave a super on over the winter? I always try to cut the hives down to just brood boxes.

 

[trubulator]

I typically make a hard candy board that fits over the top of the frames. If the bees wander up to the top they can find the candy board and feed on it all winter.

Yeah. I usually bomb any hive I think is even a little light with syrup before it gets too cold and then do either bee candy or camp method if they are still light.

 

[trubulator]

I didn’t even know it was optional. Always left one super on top of the brood box.

My hives are two brood boxes (deeps) plus supers. Typically the upper box will be pretty much full of honey at the start of the fall/winter season. I get all the supers off the hive before the cold closes in so it is easier for the bees to stay warm.

 

[trubulator]

Where is your queen excluder- does the top brood box act as a deep super?

When I have supers on, the excluder goes between the top brood box and the first super.