How to stack em?

[TXbeekeeper]

What is recommended these days on the brood chambers? Two deep brood boxes, one deep and one something else? I used a single brood chamber many years ago. Any advice?

[Hambone]

I use all mediums. Lighter to lift, same equipment to buy for supers. Makes it easier.

[Jeffzhear]

I set them up with one deep and one medium for overwintering in NY and Northern PA.

[beedeetee]

I use two deeps for brood, mediums for honey. So there you have it, there is no wrong way. My dad had boxes that were half way between a deep and medium. I still have a couple that I use to cover bucket feeders. I don't have frames for them any more.

[tecumseh]

the 'tradional size' for brood chamber in the south was one deep body. most would add one medium depth box to this... which was sometimes called a food chamber. even today you see a lot of folks (including my good neighbors just south of me) overwinter in a story and a half configured hives.

if you do the math.. one deep body with 9 or 10 frames is adequate to provide laying area for any queen with an 'average' per day egg laying capacity. the same area would be a bit too small if the queen's egg laying capacity approached the 'maximum'.

there are of course no rules or law in regards to your question, but for established hive I think story and a half is an excellent configuration. most of the time during inspection you are only removing the medium (if that), so these are definitely less taxing than a deep. on some occasion, especially the winter months, it is not atypical for me to have the deep on the top and the medium on the bottom (this is first created by the general position of the brood area in the late fall). with frame feeders these are especially easy to feed. come sping time when the brood area has expanded these are returned to there more tradional position.

[Ross]

All mediums, no queen excluder for me. The queen determines the brood nest size.

[TXbeekeeper]

Very helpful information. Thanks for the advice.