I have my first 90% full (honey and brood) single deep box. I have a short box with mostly drawn out frames that I was considering adding on top, instead of a deep with just plastic foundations. I was thinking that considering the time of year is adding the short a mistake or ??? Thanks for your input. In Deep and Dusty.
We like to run “ideal supers” here in Tasmania which are 146mm deep. They are good for times when the deeper box is unlikely to be filled.
The thing is, which I recently read on another thread, is that when/if the bees to draw the comb in the new box they will use up a lot of stores if there’s not much nectar around which may be needed during winter. I’d imagine that if you had drawn comb to add it’d be a different story.
Might be ok if you’re in for a decent fall flow @Dusty. Any advice from locals?
Our Winters are not harsh but we do get freezing temps sometimes at night Ag Zone 9B. I’m sure I’ll be adding pollen patties and sugar water at some point. Thanks for asking.
I am somewhat local - 100 miles away local, and @Dusty will have less nectar flow than me, as he is much drier. Fall flows are extremely unreliable in SoCal. We may get some eucalypts, but they are fickle. The major flow is over for the year now.
@Dan2’s idea is a good one, if you think the bees are crowded. In the US, I would add a Langstroth medium, but not a deep, and not a Flow super. Just my ever-so-'umble opinion.