The honey supers are on.

In the last inspection we added one honey super to each of our Italian hives. We did this because the bees have filled up their upper brood chambers and simply need more room. This also means from now on all honey produced is ours. These honey supers are like the regular supers but are a little shorter. We have also put Queen excluders underneath the honey supers. Queen excluders are [ Obviously ] screens with holes big enough to let the workers through, but too small to allow the Queen into the upper part of the hive. The reason being is that you want to keep the honey to be harvested free of eggs and larva. The use of these excluders are a little divisive as some beekeepers think they prevent the workers from moving up into the honey supers also. As Bob and I are of opposing views on this, ( I am a little against them, he is for them ) we have come to a compromise. A Beekeeper friend of Bob suggested that we place them at a 90˚ angle. As the hives and excluders are rectangular in shape, this leaves the ends of the excluders sticking out a little on the front and back, and leaves a gap on either side inside. This will hopefully give the bees a little more access to the super. It also has the benefit of giving the hive a little more ventilation.
    It is also interesting to note that although the 'Sicilians' ( as Bob likes to call them ) arrived a couple of weeks later then our first two hives, they have almost caught up with the Italians in regards to production. At this rate I would expect to be adding even more supers to the hives in the coming weeks.
  The Carniolans are dwindling, the queen is still laying as we see evidence in the many eggs and larva, but it is not doing well. The queen also seems to be without her attendants as she wonders around the comb. Only time will tell.

John