double deep to single deep/medium? I don't want more hives.

**flyingbrass** · 10-14-2012, 08:32 AM

I had a friend sell me some double deep hives real cheap. I don't like double deeps because they seem to get honey bound and the bees never want to move up to the medium super I got about 20 hives now so I don't really want more hives. Also don't like the weight. What is they easiest way to get to deep/medium configuration that I prefer?

**cg3** · 10-14-2012, 08:34 AM

Split the deeps and add mediums.

**waynesgarden** · 10-14-2012, 09:19 AM

I don't know about your area, but here in Maine, that bottom deep would be empty come early spring. I'd wait and rotate it out then..

WAYne

**flyingbrass** · 10-14-2012, 09:21 AM

Originally Posted by cg3

Split the deeps and add mediums.

But I don't want more hives.

**BGhoney** · 10-14-2012, 09:25 AM

Just put your mediums on top, they will move next spring summer and you can remove the deeps. I would wait till spring to put them on, you dont want a dead air space..

**flyingbrass** · 10-15-2012, 09:46 AM

I tried just adding a medium super last year and the bees wouldn't move up, got honey bound, then swarmed!!!! What did I do wrong?

**seyc** · 10-15-2012, 12:59 PM

I would suggest baiting the super. Put a couple of honey filled frames into the super when you put it on.

**Riskybizz** · 10-15-2012, 01:57 PM

Buy some cardboard 5 frame nucs and split those double deep hives in the spring. Then set up the hives you do want to keep in a deep and a super. Then take the $$ you got from selling your nucs and take your wife out to dinner. She will be impressed at how creative you can be.

**wcubed** · 10-18-2012, 02:14 AM

In the spring, when you have sufficient population to tolerate splitting the broodnest, add a medium of drawn comb between the two deeps. At harvest time in summer, harvest and extract the upper deep. Contrary to some opinions, harvesting honey from former brood comb causes no detectable degradation. The bees clean the cells before using them for honey.

If you can't find a local buyer for the drawn deeps, let me know via PM. Just be careful in uncapping to maintain brood-rearing depth of cells - top to bottom of the frames. In other words, don't use the bottom bars as a guide for the uncapping knife.

Walt