I was planning on all mediums, but since I lost one of packages and I am installing a nuc this weekend, I was forced to go with a deep box. Do you think if I converted to 1 deep + 1 medium, that would be enough room for the brood chamber?
1 deep + 1 medium
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for a little while....
So I should just plan on 3 mediums or 2 deeps?
My queens regularly fill 12 to 14 frames with brood. that is a well filled frame not just spots of brood in 14 different frames. I consider a medium 2/3rds of a deep so a deep and medium combination is equal to about 16 deep frames. So yes you have room for brood in a deep and medium what you do not have room for is the nectar and pollen needed to support that brood.
I use a deep with mediums on top of it. I find that during there highest peak of build up the queen will have brood spread out over 40 frames total and up into the fourth box or third medium. Now I admit I am at the other extreme and giving my queens unlimited brood space.
Now I think a little different than most. in the spring what I want out of my queen and bees is for them to build up. that it is ti pure and simple. I do not get distracted with issues of honey production. comb condition where the queen is etc. all I want is for her to build up. And I find she does that best if i stay out of it and do nothing more than provide her with room to do so. I am not a queen. I don't' know about laying eggs or keepign brood alive. so who am I to decide she should be doing all that work in one 10 frame box at the bottom of the stack.
I also do not tend to take issue with swarming. If bees then want to swarm. I simply want them to do it well. My bees to not play around about swarming. a total of 249 swarm cells from 12 production colonies. My bees are good bees so everything they do they do well. Now this potentially could have resulted in 249 new colonies. but given I am not nearly as good at being a beekeeper as my bees are at being bees this is not the case. In fact once I got involved very few of these queen cells survived to become queens. much less mated queens.
My advice along the lines of this let bees be bees ideology is to over winter in a deep and a medium but in the spring give them a deep and 3 mediums at least. In my case most of the time more. As swarm period approaches remove this queen with ay 20 frames and 2 boxes to a new location. she just swarmed. Your bees will now produce swarm cells like champions. remove them dispose of them or use them as needed. Do not allow these bees to have a queen until swarm season has passed. Once honey production has started yo can give the bees back to their queen who has in addition built an new colony.
In my case I attempted to rear all those queen cells and used up those excess bees in the process.
I use a deep with mediums on top of it. I find that during there highest peak of build up the queen will have brood spread out over 40 frames total and up into the fourth box or third medium. Now I admit I am at the other extreme and giving my queens unlimited brood space.
Now I think a little different than most. in the spring what I want out of my queen and bees is for them to build up. that it is ti pure and simple. I do not get distracted with issues of honey production. comb condition where the queen is etc. all I want is for her to build up. And I find she does that best if i stay out of it and do nothing more than provide her with room to do so. I am not a queen. I don't' know about laying eggs or keepign brood alive. so who am I to decide she should be doing all that work in one 10 frame box at the bottom of the stack.
I also do not tend to take issue with swarming. If bees then want to swarm. I simply want them to do it well. My bees to not play around about swarming. a total of 249 swarm cells from 12 production colonies. My bees are good bees so everything they do they do well. Now this potentially could have resulted in 249 new colonies. but given I am not nearly as good at being a beekeeper as my bees are at being bees this is not the case. In fact once I got involved very few of these queen cells survived to become queens. much less mated queens.
My advice along the lines of this let bees be bees ideology is to over winter in a deep and a medium but in the spring give them a deep and 3 mediums at least. In my case most of the time more. As swarm period approaches remove this queen with ay 20 frames and 2 boxes to a new location. she just swarmed. Your bees will now produce swarm cells like champions. remove them dispose of them or use them as needed. Do not allow these bees to have a queen until swarm season has passed. Once honey production has started yo can give the bees back to their queen who has in addition built an new colony.
In my case I attempted to rear all those queen cells and used up those excess bees in the process.
Where you are located it would probably be better to run either 3 mediums or 2 deeps, as they will appreciate the additional honey stores in the winter. Down south where I am, we can usually get away with a single deep and a medium for the brood boxes. I personally prefer double deeps, but that's probably because I can still lift them.
I am in northern vermont. I lost 1 of my first two packages and the second is in the process of superseding, so I am just trying to get the hive through the upcoming winter. I don't expect honey this seasonWhere you are located it would probably be better to run either 3 mediums or 2 deeps, as they will appreciate the additional honey stores in the winter. Down south where I am, we can usually get away with a single deep and a medium for the brood boxes. I personally prefer double deeps, but that's probably because I can still lift them.
. I am purchasing a five frame nuc that is forcing me to go with a deep on my second hive, so I was just wondering if I could "cheat" a little and maybe get honey from the third box on the existing hive this year, Deep with two mediums. I am not anxious about the honey issue, just curious.
Most of the old time beeks in my area overwinter with a deep/shallow combo (ten frame).
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I just started last year went in with a double deep and a single deep. I lost the double deep with the top box full of honey, the single deep came through. I am looking to go to all mediums but this year will be incorporating the deeps to overwinter. I am going to go with the deep medium 2 box approach I think. If I need to add weight, I will give them 2 mediums. We Shall See. G
I've never really dealt with packages before as my bees are from nucs...or swarms (which I guess you could compare to a package). Anyway, lots of southern beeks run a single deep and medium. It boils down to preference, I just like the deeps. If I had the equipment I'd run deeps for honey supers.I am in northern vermont. I lost 1 of my first two packages and the second is in the process of superseding, so I am just trying to get the hive through the upcoming winter. I don't expect honey this season
I am purchasing a five frame nuc that is forcing me to go with a deep on my second hive, so I was just wondering if I could "cheat" a little and maybe get honey from the third box on the existing hive this year, Deep with two mediums. I am not anxious about the honey issue, just curious.
I guess you could cheat and take some honey from the second medium, assuming its not too late in the season and/or you have a fall nectar flow. Either that or you'll probably be feeding over the winter. I can understand wanting a little reward for your work this season, been there done that. My only suggestion is to exercise restraint and only take what will satisfy you.
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