Super

Expanding the Hive

A standard Langstroth beehive starts with one or two deep boxes called "hive bodies" or "brood boxes." This is where the queen lays eggs and the colony raises brood. During a nectar flow, when bees are bringing in more nectar than the brood box can accommodate, the beekeeper adds additional boxes on top. These added boxes are called supers, short for "superstructure."

The super serves one purpose: honey storage. Most beekeepers use a queen excluder, a mesh screen with openings large enough for workers but too small for the queen, between the brood box and the first super. This prevents the queen from laying eggs in the honey frames, ensuring the super contains pure honey without brood contamination.

Types of Supers

Supers come in three standard depths. Shallow supers (5 3/4 inches) hold about 25 to 30 pounds of honey when full and are the lightest to lift. Medium supers (6 5/8 inches) hold about 35 to 40 pounds and are a popular compromise between capacity and weight. Deep supers (9 5/8 inches) hold 60 to 80 pounds and are impractical for most people to lift when full of honey. Most hobbyist beekeepers use medium or shallow supers for honey production.

When to Add Supers

Timing is critical. Add a super too early, and the bees have too much empty space to heat and defend. Add it too late, and the colony runs out of storage room, which can trigger swarming or force bees to backfill brood cells with nectar, reducing the colony's population growth during the most productive time of year.

The general rule is to add a super when 70-80% of the existing frames are drawn out and being used. In Florida, where nectar flows can hit hard and fast during citrus and saw palmetto blooms, having supers ready and adding them proactively is the difference between a good harvest and a mediocre one.