Hi everyone! Two hives (new from packages) this year, going great. Two deeps on each. Added one honey super per hive 3 weeks ago. I'll go out to check today, and will have two more supers available in case I think they need room.
I don't want to harvest honey that they need for the winter, and when I added my supers there wasn't alot of capped honey in the lower two deeps.
I'm ignorant at this point about what to expect in terms of any more flow in this area ie will there be enough flow that I can take one super per hive for myself, even two?
I'm thinking that if I take off the honey supers for my own harvest when 80% capped, and don't add another super, then the bees will work on adding stores in the lower two deeps. BUT-- if I do this soon (depending on how much honey I have capped now) will they be too crowded? Do they need the room of another super? Do folks in these northern climes keep on a super for them to feed off of through the winter or is that too much space (2 deeps and 1 shallow) for them to keep warm?
I know this touches on the delightful complexity of beekeeping! What am I not thinking about? Advice?? Thanks in advance.
Oldbee I hope you're reading today!