Please Help w/ next step

[Rob_Donna]

Howdy all,

I need some help deciding how to proceed. Due to my own error, I lost two of my four hives to starvation. The saddest thing of all is I have 2 full shallow supers of honey I had planned on using for spring supplements. I thought, at last check, that they would be good until it warmed a little. I am vowing to not let this happen again.

So now I have two strong hives, with one deep and one super each. I have 2 empty hive bodies (all comb, full or empty, is stored in a freezer), and 2 full shallow supers of honey from last fall.

1.Should I change over to two deeps now that I have them extra?

I've never worked 2 deeps, and the thought of hunting the queen and manipulating a hive with 2 full bodies is intimidating.

2. Or, for being in the south, is a deep and a super sufficient?


I don't want to waste any honey from last year, and I don't know how to get the the two full supers empty (in addition to emptying the two that are on the hives now if I go double deeps).

If possible, I had planned on changing full frames for empty frames as the spring progressed. But now I'm afraid I'll have too many to use up. Supers are in short supply for me and I need all I have for extracting (I only have 9 total).

Sorry to be so long winded, but I don't know what to do...


Do I split what I've got and go back to deep and super each?

Or, do I try the double deeps (and still grow back to 4 hives).

What about the full supers, how can I get them empty and ready for this year?


Thanks for your patience with my ramblings... any help would be great

rob

[Michael Bush]

In the end it depends on what you want to do.

What I'd do? I'd cut the deeps down to mediums add on the any shallow supers and run all mediums. But that doesn't sound like what you want to do.

You can run a hive with one deep for brood. But you'll have to keep an eye on it, and if it gets honey bound you'll have to decide how to deal with it to open up the brood chamber.

As long as you don't starve them or let the brood nest get too crowded it will work out anyway you want to do it.

[Rob_Donna]

If I go with two deeps, do I add them when the bottom is 60-70% full (like adding a super)? Or can I add it earlier in the year?

thanks
rob