8-frame versus 10-frame hives

**barberberryfarm** · 02-16-2013, 10:38 AM

This has been the toughest decision for me to make when it comes to preparing to buy our first 4 italian "small cell" honey bee hives with the goal of expanding to 8 hives next year. The gentleman I'm buying the bees from keeps his in 8-frame hives and swears by them. A good friend of mine has 25 hives and he keeps his in 10-frame hives and reduces his honey supers to 9-frames. The difference between the two is one raises bees to sell and my friend raises them mainly for the honey. My main goal is for the bees to pollinate my berries, fruit trees, vegetables and pumpkins and sell any excess honey at our fruit stand.

I've been reading various pros and cons on the subject and most of the contributors are ones that have moved from 10-frame to 8-frame hives. Personally, I'm leaning that way too as the frame box weight is considerably lighter than a fully-loaded 10 frame box and at 60 I'm not getting any younger.

Have any of you run into this dilema and, if so, which way did you choose and are you glad you made that decision?

**Slow Modem** · 02-16-2013, 12:26 PM

I started with a 10 and my second one was an 8 and I'm building two more 8s this year. I like the reduced weight of the 8s. But there are many more options for equipment with 10s. Since the frames are the same size, you should get one of each and decide which one works best for you.

Good luck!

**beeman2009** · 02-16-2013, 01:02 PM

8 frame all the way. I feel it's better on the bees, just my opinion, and much easier on my nearly 60 back. I had 2 10 frames to start with but soon changed. Glad I did. I also run all mediums. No special reason other than ease of manipulation. Everything is one size so that's all I need to stock, boxes, frames, bb, lids, ect. Also I keep SC bees myself for 6 years. They are great, at least mine have been. I hope to be totally foundationless by the end of this season. Doing all I can to be chemical-free.

**Beregondo** · 02-16-2013, 01:51 PM

I'm making increase, and a strong 2 box tenner will split to strong nucs four ways.
Started to switch to eights, and liked the handling, even if you do end up buying 20% more boxes, and on box higher one a stack for every 5 ten frames when you use eights to get the same capacity.

If my goal weren't max nuc production for the least $ I'd probably run 8's, but tens are more efficient given my goals.

**David W.** · 02-16-2013, 02:44 PM

I started with 1 hive 10 frame deeps,I switched to all 8 frame mediums because of back problems.I also am using small cell.I don't see any difference with the smaller boxes but it does take more .

**barberberryfarm** · 02-16-2013, 04:39 PM

It seems you are all echoing what I've been hearing with regards to the 8's vs 10's. This is good! I don't mind buying more boxes as all that excess honey will more than pay for them. I have so many folks that come to the U-Pick that want local honey because of allergies.

I've also heard a lot of folks are going to all mediums. It just makes sense. From the class I went to, he said to use 3 medium for the brood boxes, then put a queen excluder between them and the honey supers to keep the queen out. Is that a pretty general practice for all of you?