Welcome to the forum, and good luck to you in your new, exciting endeavor! My inclination is to plan on three mediums for the brood nest, but as I don't run mediums, I'll let those who do chime in more authoritatively.
I have found it necessary to have as many as 5 shallow or medium supers for nectar storage and honey production. Sometimes I need them, sometimes I don't. But if I don't have them available, I lose.
Some folks argue for the use of the excluder, others say it excludes honey. I have tried it both ways, and tend to leave the excluder in the shop. As the bees expand the brood nest, it helps reduce the propensity to swarm. Particularly if, as Imirie and Wright and others point out, you keep plenty of empty storage space above them. There will come the point when the band of honey keeps the queen from going higher. Then they start backfilling, and by season's end there is no longer any brood in my extracting supers. I simply wait for any remaning brood to hatch out, and the house bees fill the cells with capped honey, which I then extract.
However, all beekeeping is locale. You'll learn what works for you in your locale, as you do it. Don't worry about making mistakes. You will! That's part of the learning curve.
If you haven't yet discovered the "Point of View" "POV" section on the home page for the forum, check it out. Read the articles there. I've found them most helpful. And of course, ask a question of 10 beeks, get 12 answers. If you want a different opinion, ask me, and I'll give it. :lpf:
Regards,
Steven
I have found it necessary to have as many as 5 shallow or medium supers for nectar storage and honey production. Sometimes I need them, sometimes I don't. But if I don't have them available, I lose.
Some folks argue for the use of the excluder, others say it excludes honey. I have tried it both ways, and tend to leave the excluder in the shop. As the bees expand the brood nest, it helps reduce the propensity to swarm. Particularly if, as Imirie and Wright and others point out, you keep plenty of empty storage space above them. There will come the point when the band of honey keeps the queen from going higher. Then they start backfilling, and by season's end there is no longer any brood in my extracting supers. I simply wait for any remaning brood to hatch out, and the house bees fill the cells with capped honey, which I then extract.
However, all beekeeping is locale. You'll learn what works for you in your locale, as you do it. Don't worry about making mistakes. You will! That's part of the learning curve.
If you haven't yet discovered the "Point of View" "POV" section on the home page for the forum, check it out. Read the articles there. I've found them most helpful. And of course, ask a question of 10 beeks, get 12 answers. If you want a different opinion, ask me, and I'll give it. :lpf:
Regards,
Steven
