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May nuc has exploded into a full double deep — when do I add the first honey super?

Ontario, second year but first time raising a colony from a nuc instead of inheriting a going concern. Picked up a 5-frame nuc mid-May, it hit a full deep by mid-June, I added the second deep, and today's inspection shows 8 of 10 frames in that top box drawn and loaded — wall-to-wall bees, brood on 12+ frames across both boxes, nectar shining everywhere. My gut says super NOW but my beginner brain has questions: do I wait until all 10 top-box frames are drawn (the '80% rule' says no?), does the super go on with or without a queen excluder given it's all foundation, and is there even enough season left in Ontario for them to fill it — goldenrod is still ahead, right? Don't want to repeat my mistake from last year of adding space too late and cramping them.
#first-super#nuc#queen-excluder#hive-expansion
▲ 10 votes 💬 4 replies ✅ Solved
4 replies
QuebecBees · Jul 10, 2026 · ✅ Accepted answer
Fellow Canadian here — super now, tonight if you could. 8 of 10 IS the 80% rule; waiting for 10/10 just invites backfilling and swarm thoughts. And yes, you have goldenrod coming, which around me is often the biggest flow of the year. A May nuc that strong can absolutely fill a super or two by September.
DrentseBij · Jul 11, 2026
On the excluder question: bees can be slow to cross an excluder onto undrawn foundation. Common trick — leave the excluder off until they've started drawing and storing in the super, then slip it in after checking the queen is below. Best of both.
GeorgiaWes · Jul 11, 2026
DrentseBij's trick works, just don't forget step two — I've seen more than one 'honey super' full of brood because someone left the excluder in the shed all July. Set a phone reminder for a week out.
BethsBees · Jul 11, 2026
Super went on this evening, excluder waiting on the bench with a reminder set for next Friday. Thanks all — this forum is cheaper than the mistakes.
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