Nick, This may be long. A super can be pulled when all of the frames of honey are capped over. That's usually a sign that the water content is down to 17-19% With only one 8 frame hive body, I'd think twice about taking any honey. I live in western MA, not too different from where you are, maybe a little colder. There are some variables, but around here the general rule of thumb is to have 70lbs of honey stored in the hive for overwintering. Italian queens are prolific layers and go into the winter with a large population. Russians are more frugal and overwinter in a smaller cluster. In 10 frame hives we run 2 deep hive bodies. Most people who run 8 frame hives run 3 deep hive bodies, then add supers. If you hive has done well, it is probably getting pretty crowded.
Is your queen laying in the first super? How much honey is stored in the rest of the hive?
If the second super is getting full, you need to add another one. It may be too late to add another deep now.
Pick up a copy of Kim Flottum's book "The Backyard Beekeeper" It's mostly based on starting out with 8 frame hives. More importantly see if there is a local club where you live. Talk to some other beekeepers and see if they can take a look at your hives and see where they stand and what's needed to have them strong enough going into the winter. If you are able to extract, a club member should be able to help you out.Below is a link to some local associations in Pennsylvania. You might also google Pennsylvania Beekeeping Association. Good luck and keep us posted

Here is a link that might be useful: http://beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=214980

Nick,
I am in NE PA also ...we are just starting also. We have four hives one has 2 deep hive bodies, which we thought were full as of June 18th so we put on a shallow to get honey for us, and those lil' buggers won't fill that top shallow super for me, going to evict them, LOL.... What tonybeeguy says is true everyone around here has told us not to take honey unless they have 100 lbs for winter, also there is a bee store in Waverly, NY just out of Pa, that is where I go for supplies they are very helpful.Dadant..on old 17c. between Sayre,PA and Nichols, NY. Good luck I am thinking that putting all my money into an insect to try to make some money was a crazy idea. not really just kidding they are fun and really is worth it in the long run, at least I have been told!!
Polly

Polly, Welcome. I hoped someone warned you that intentions of having a hive or 2 can easily turn into ten. We're told not to expect honey the first year, but I've also had some first year hives make 100 lbs of surplus. I wish we could figure those little buggers out.

I was able to take a super off the one 8-frame hive. Actually only 6 and a half frames. I ended up with roughly 1-1/2G - 1-3/4G of honey. The color was a lot lighter than I thought. I expected it to be more of a darker wildflower color, but they must have stuck closeby and used the Alfalfa field I have right there. I'm happy with my first harvest :O)

My feelings are leave them alone the first year and feed them this winter, if you have any sunny warm days when they're taking 'cleansing flights' set out some bee food/syrup/appropriate treats on a rock about 30 feet from hives...they'll share without robbing. (I feed mine every winter to keep them safe)

In spring when its consistently warm everyday = flowers are abundant and they're collecting nectar like crazy, then remove the honey super and replace it with a "shallow super", in as little as two weeks it will be full... take it for yourself and put on two more shallows and leave them for them to store what they will need for next winter. You should get 20-40 lbs from each hive anyway. In a year after, you'll have two supers plus one during nectar flow from each hive, well over 60 lbs each.

Hope you have a queen excluder between the honey super and the hive to prevent brood in your honey...

On the extractor = forget it. They cost a fortune and you don't need them. Brushy Mountain Catalog sells big plastic buckets that you dump the honey in and it strains into the bucket below. You can even make your own pretty simply. There is a gold mine of information is Michael Bush's website... its soooooo helpful.

And in case anyone hasn't warned you - pretty spring days can still be interpreted as a "dearth" to bees if its too early. So give them time to feel warm safe and wallowing in flowers before you mess too much with them in spring.

side note on honey: an old timer told me to never heat honey, it kills the natural antibodies and good stuff...the catalogs are always selling processing equipment, you don't need it