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Bood chamber make up

3K views 9 replies 7 participants last post by  Bee Bliss 
#1 ·
New Beek in WI Looking at my equipment next fall is it possible or advisable to use one deep and one medium as the brood chamber for a new colony?

I'm looking at the winter 2011 and thinking I might get stuck with either too little room or too much if I add a 2nd medium.

I like the idea of all mediums but I have about a dozen deeps I'd hate to not use.

Any thoughts?
 
#3 ·
Super size and hive color are all about the beekeeper. Top bar hive beekeepers gloat about how they only have to lift single frames. It must be hard to imagine moving single Langstroth or actually Hoffman frames.
If you have deeps, use them and don't worry what the "bee neighbors" say. Mediums are lighter when full of honey, however running all deeps draws plenty of comb to rotate out old comb, and make splits, and capture swarms, and scare off "lightweight" beekeepers that dread lifting shallow eight frame supers. Enjoy beekeeping and don't sweat the small stuff!
 
#4 ·
I think you said somewhere that you wanted to run 5 hives..... how about trying two with deeps for hive bodies and two with all mediums. Maybe you can tinker with one foundationless all mediums. Then see which you prefer. At least you would know which direction you want to go with future equipment. Just my thoughts. ;)

Edit: Didn't see your comment about already having a dozen deeps.
 
#5 ·
Maybe I phrased the question wrong. I've read that the standard for the initial brood chamber is either a single deep or two mediums. I plan to use both options and like folks say "see what works best"

Once things get popping and most of the frames get drawn out in the original setup, another box of the same size is placed on top and that is the brood chamber for the colony from that point forward. (2-deeps or 3 mediums)

My question was; if one deep and one medium would make a suitable brood chamber for the colony. Will it winter over or is that too small?

Thanks
 
#6 ·
Here in central Ohio, many beekeepers successfully overwinter in a deep and a medium. Others overwinter just fine with double deeps because they don't want two different box sizes.

Ask the folks in your local bee club, or other area beekeepers how they overwinter their hives.
 
#7 ·
Take a look at Walt Wrights POV section in this forum. He has some detailed information related to his area/climate using double deeps. It makes for some good reading and I know you have been doing a lot of that!

http://www.beesource.com/point-of-view/walt-wright/

Personally I am using double deeps, I also am employing Jerry Hayes method using a queen excluder except I have a slatted rack and standard bottom board.

http://www.beesource.com/point-of-view/jerry-hayes/queen-excluder-or-honey-excluder/

I am a beginner hobbiest keeping in a different climate/area than you. I would recommend having enough hardware on hand so you can change or adapt your hives to your particular climate and even to the individual hives immediate needs. They will not need or have the same amount of boxes on them at the same time.
I think that is the beauty of being a hobbiest, that you can buy this or try that without having to do so for tens or hundreds of hives.
Somewhere you will find someone using any combination of hive bodies to suit their needs. There are hives overwintering in five frame nuc boxes! Go figure!
Check it out, watch what happens and adapt to the hives needs! That is what the bees have been doing long before we got involved.
 
#8 ·
What I did was use a deep for very bottom box then stack with mediums for build.

Fall time when I pulled honey, I pulled boxes until I found brood, then added one medium on top for extra stores. So far... they are nice and heavy. Cluster is able to break for a couple days a week and they are bringing the capped honey down nicely.

In my opinion, there isn't a standard for a brood nest. The bees will tell YOU what they need, you just need to pay attention to what they are telling you.

This is my first winter as an official beek. I very well could be off the wall and in left field....


Mark
 
#9 ·
Mark,

This is my first winter also. I have two hives. Each has two medium boxes.

As to the mechanics of what the bees do during winter, I read a lot about the cluster "moving" up to reach more honey/pollen. But your post seems to indicate they will go up individually on warm days and bring honey back "down" toward the cluster. Is that how they work also?

I have not had a warm enough day lately to look inside and see what they are doing after the cold days started.

Norm

georgiabeekeeper.com
 
#10 ·
Stooge King:

Per Brown County Beek Assoc.......there is a beekeeping seminar being held this Saturday, February 12th at the Brown County UW-Extension located at 1150 Bellevue St., Green Bay. Registration period is from 8 - 9 am. Class begins at 9 am till 4:00 p.m. Registration fee is $30.00.

See the "Hi from Wisconsin" thread in the welcome forum for specifics on topics covered.
 
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