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This is my first year beekeeping and as I add brood boxes and supers, I want to make sure I'm helping them prep for winter. Local beekeepers recommended that there are either 2 deep or 3 medium boxes (even 1 deep 1 medium) of brood for wintering in this area. I realize the queen excluder isn't used in the winter but my question is where to include it in the spring time wrt the boxes I plan on wintering... or does it matter? I currently have 8 frame Langstroth in place.

In other words, if I have 2 brood boxes all summer with the queen free to roam between the two - will the bees naturally store more honey in the top brood box so that it will be winter ready? Or will it fill with too much brood? In that case, should the "top brood box" be used as a honey super until the queen excluder is removed between the two boxes (between deep 1 and deep 2)?

(I attached a drawing in case my text isn't clear). I plan on having 2 deep brood boxes for winter and some form of feeder just in case.

 

[NUBE]

They will generally store honey/nectar overhead. I don’t know where in the country you are located, but, in my area of NC, I’d let them have free range of both boxes and feed once the flow is over if I feel they need more comb drawn and/or more stores. Then, sometime in early to mid October, I’d make sure they are organized like I think they should be (brood nest in the bottom box, honey/syrup stores above), and, if they aren’t, I organize the frames how I know they should be to give the bees the best chance to make it through winter.

 

[RayMarler]

If you are not looking to harvest comb honey, then I see no need for you to be using an excluder. Just run your 2 deeps of 8 frames, the bees naturally store honey over top of brood, especially in late summer and early fall.

 

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If you are not looking to harvest comb honey, then I see no need for you to be using an excluder. Just run your 2 deeps of 8 frames, the bees naturally store honey over top of brood, especially in late summer and early fall.

Thanks! This helps clarify a lot.

 

[Fivej]

It's great that you have local beekeepers giving you some advice. It would benefit you to put your location in your profile so we can give you localized advice. J