Honey Super
Lexikon
The honey super is the part of the hive that the bees use exclusively for storing and ripening nectar and honey, while brood is raised in the brood chamber below it.
The honey super is the part of the hive that the bees use exclusively for storing and ripening nectar and honey, while brood is raised in the brood chamber below it. In modern box hives, the honey super is added as one or more extra hive boxes on top, once the colony is strong enough and a nectar flow begins.
So that the queen does not move up into the honey super and lay eggs there, many beekeepers separate the two areas with a queen excluder. This way the harvested honey is guaranteed to be brood-free, which matters both for quality and for hygiene during extracting. The right time to add the honey super has to be learned: added too early, it needlessly chills the brood nest; added too late, the beekeeper misses the start of the nectar flow and the colony goes into swarming mood because it lacks space.
A common mistake is hanging combs in the honey super that previously stood in the brood chamber. Such combs can contain residues from brood-rearing activity and should be reserved for the brood chamber. Wax foundation or already-built but brood-free empty combs are suitable for the honey super instead, so that the honey is stored cleanly and without foreign substances.