Maintaining conditions favorable for brood rearing and honey storage is the primary management concern during the summer. Check colonies frequently to make sure sufficient storage space is available. You should keep colonies supplied with at least one super ahead of their needs. During the early and major portions of the nectar flow, the trend should be to oversuper.
Research shows that empty combs stimulate foraging behavior and honey production.
Besides adequate space for honey storage, the bees also need space for handling incoming nectar. Nectar collected from flowers contains 50 to 80 percent water. Therefore, the nectar takes up much more comb space initially than it does after the excess water is evaporated during processing. Fully ripened honey normally contains less than 18 percent moisture. Inadequate storage and handling space makes the brood chambers honey-bound, which limits brood rearing.