New Bee Keeper from Long Island NY, Hive body and super size questions

2055 Views 5 Replies 6 Participants Last post by AmericasBeekeeper, May 16, 2014

paddab

Discussion Starter · May 1, 2014 (Edited)

Hellp , my name is Paul and my wife and I are 1st year bee keepers.
My question is should the hive body(brood box )size differ from the rest of the supers?

we ordered 2 complete 8 frame med hives, ordered 1 nuc and will be picking up 1 package soon, the Nuc came in on deep frames ,so I purchased a deep box and several frames to start out. the nuc is up and running and I plan on using med supers from here. do I need to get another deep box before the winter for the nuc hive to over winter?

should I have done something different with the deep frames?

2nd question, can I load the package into all med boxes or should I get a deep for the brood box?
and contine like the nuc hive mentioned above. I am just a little confused....
I really would like to limit different size equipment so we can interchange frames through out hives
Thanks Paul

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KPeacock

· #2 · May 1, 2014

simple answer is that the bees don't care

I have decided to run all deeps for everything, but I am in the minority. it seems that the most common practice is to run all mediums as they weight of them is more manageable. if you want to overwinter with two boxes, then you're fine with the one deep and a medium, and the next hive you can use three mediums to be pretty much the same as two deeps.

Many people, myself included, like to have all of their gear to be one size. it makes things much easier when you have to swap a frame here and there, or move boxes and covers around.

After this winter, when all of your bees are up high in the top box, you can remove the one deep you have if you're really motivated to have only one size for your gear.

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capitalbeesupply

· #3 · May 1, 2014

With respect to the installation of package bees in mediums, what we typically recommend is to install 3lb packages into 2 medium hive bodies. 2lb packages we generally recommend installing into 1 medium. A lot of this depends on the actual size of the packages. Some of the early 3lb packages this spring were more than 3lbs of bees.

paddab said:
2nd question, can I load the package into all med boxes or should I get a deep for the brood box?
Thanks Paul

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Tallykat

· #4 · May 1, 2014

If I could start all over, I would probably try to have all 8 frame mediums. Instead, I have an 8 frame deep and medium brood nest (x 3) and medium supers. My first bees were in a deep nuc as well, and that seems to be the eternal question when trying to use all mediums--getting deep frame bees into medium frames. Now with 3 deep brood boxes, I feel that I can move brood between hives, but it doesn't help me move frames around within one hive, like if I wanted to do some checkerboarding.

Despite my desire, I keep ending up with deep hive bodies--one inherited from someone going all medium and the last one I won at our local beekeepers meeting. Maybe I'll try to come up with some plan for next year to have one all deep hive and the rest mediums (although each hive is painted a specific color). Personally, I have never caught the queen anywhere but in the bottom brood box, even with no queen excluder. Sure, I've seen brood in the second box, just never her majesty.

It might be nice to have everything one size, but I think in the end, you will have mostly one size and then some deeps to be "nuc" compatible. Who knows, maybe demand will create more medium nucs....

Welcome and good luck!

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Michael Bush

· #5 · May 2, 2014

If I have nothing but foundation or foundationless, I install 3 pound packages in a five frame medium box. (I wouldn't buy one just for that but I have htem) If I have drawn comb I install them in one eight frame box. You will need to add another box in about two weeks, but by then the weather is usually much warmer and they have a nice start.

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AmericasBeekeeper

· #6 · May 16, 2014

Welcome Paul!

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