there are two deep boxes of about 10 inches deep with 10 frames. This is where the bees store their food (honey) as well as lay eggs and raise brood. On tope of that you put your honey "supers", These are about six inches deep. They are shorter because of weight. A full honey super may weight 50 pounds, while a full honey deep might weigh over 100 lbs. Very heavy.

So, you wait, during your first year, for your bees to fill out the two deeps before you put on a honey super. Once the two deeps are fully drawn out with comb, you add the supers and wait for them to fill the supers. Depending on the year, they might fill as many as four or five supers. On my two new colonies, one had one full super, and the other had 1/2 full super.

Hope that makes sense.