8 Frame Hive-1 Deep 3 Mediums

[Bush_84]

So I am starting some 8 frames Langs this spring. I have enough equipment for 2 hives. Each having 1 deep and 3 mediums. Is that enough or should I get more lumber? I was going to go all mediums, but the nucs are in deeps. So I figure I could probably have one deep per hive and keep the rest in mediums. Thoughts?

[Raven Lane]

That is the set up I have. It has been working fine for me. I overwintered in the deep and two mediums.

[Vance G]

Personally I would want at least one more super apiece or plan on extracting after every flow and getting boxes back on. Plan and manage for a crop or why are you keeping bees?

[Seymore]

Vance, I have some friends whose sole purpose in keeping bees is to help bee populations. They could care less about the honey.

Bush - I started that way and finally got the deeps off this year. It seemed whenever I needed to do changing, I was thwarted because I couldn't move everything around without regard to size of equip. Plus, even tho u might not move it often, that deep is still pretty dern heavy when you do have to move it.

My nuc came as a deep so I did what you did, logically. No one told me I could've just put the deep into two stacked mediums.

[Tom Fran]

Bush - I started that way and finally got the deeps off this year. It seemed whenever I needed to do changing, I was thwarted because I couldn't move everything around without regard to size of equip.

I agree. It helps a lot to have all mediums and no deeps. Standardized hive boxes and frames makes life much simpler. Michael Bush's site will even show you how to convert your deep boxes and frames to mediums. I did it and it was easy.

[Bush_84]

Personally I would want at least one more super apiece or plan on extracting after every flow and getting boxes back on. Plan and manage for a crop or why are you keeping bees?

That is essentially what I was wondering. As a small time hobby keeper, I don't really have problems extracting frequently, but slapping a couple of extra boxes together won't be a big deal at all. One afternoon of cutting and painting and the boxes are done. Convincing the wife that I need to buy more frames is the hard part! I already have two bottom boards and two roofs. So I may as well go all in and do it right.

[Seymore]

You can also keep those deeps, which I did, for bait hives and for pail feeding on top of the hive. Since you only have two, may make more sense to keep them and just not build more. Plus, if you ever buy a nuc again, you will have a spare for that.