Question about second hive body

2857 Views 12 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Acebird, Jun 14, 2014

Rob73

Discussion Starter · Jun 11, 2014

I am about ready to add my second hive body to two of my packages. I have traditionally used one deep and one medium, then mediums for supers. I talked to a local beek last week and he suggested that I use two deeps. For a little background, I use a deep and a medium because thats what they suggested in the bee school that I attended the first three years that I started.

So, I thought I would try the double deep on these two packages that I started this year. I have had hives that over wintered here at my place with a deep and two mediums. They are strong hives and I just inspect them, powder sugar them three or so times a year & feed them through the winter. So, I am under the impression that overwintering in two deeps should not be detrimental to the new colonies.

I welcome any thoughts on this too, but I have another bigger question. Is it a bad thing to add the second hive body under the first one, between it and the sbb? Or is just throwing it on top the best way to go? I have never put it on the bottom, so I was kind of curious if that was a bad idea?

Also, I have never used upper entrances before. I did have one hive with a broken box joint up by the top of the box and they used it for about 4 months and glued it over. It was on the back side of the hive body opposite of the bottom entrance. I have also put some screen wire under my sugar syrup jars before and they glue them over too. I am not sure if it has anything to do with the climate here in western KY or what. Maybe with a 3/8" or 1/2" entrance they wont close it up. I am going to build a couple migratory covers and shim them up & see how it goes. Wish me luck

Rob

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tomkat

· #2 · Jun 11, 2014

Some older beeks, like myself use all mediums. They are liter so easier to handle. Right now I am using two seeps only because that's what I had ready.

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burns375

· #3 · Jun 11, 2014

I like to run double deeps with medium honey supers. You'll need 2 deeps worth for brood, the bees space, to have enough bees to be a good honey producer. I put empty boxes ontop. Generally I move a drawn frame or 2 up into the new box when added.

I've also run 1 deep with all mediums ontop, all mediums, etc. 1 deep and 1 medium is not much of a honey producer unless its all brood no stores, but they will winter just fine if they have enough weight. What I find is hive inspections take longer with all mediums. I prefer inspecting deep frames, the weight of honey in a full deep box is the negative.

If you don't mind paying a bit extra, spending a bit more time on inspections and having extra equipment...then use all mediums, its the best option.

For reference 3 mediums = 2 deeps

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Acebird

· #4 · Jun 11, 2014

Rob, there are any number of combinations you can use for a beehive even a hollowed out tree.

Bees adapt to what ever you give them. Now can you adapt to what you gave them?

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zhiv9

· #5 · Jun 12, 2014

On top - they prefer to work up using the heat rising off the cluster/brood nest to help work the wax.

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Tim KS

· #6 · Jun 12, 2014

burns375 said:
I like to run double deeps with medium honey supers. You'll need 2 deeps worth for brood, the bees space, to have enough bees to be a good honey producer. I put empty boxes ontop. Generally I move a drawn frame or 2 up into the new box when added.

I've also run 1 deep with all mediums ontop, all mediums, etc. 1 deep and 1 medium is not much of a honey producer unless its all brood no stores, but they will winter just fine if they have enough weight. What I find is hive inspections take longer with all mediums. I prefer inspecting deep frames, the weight of honey in a full deep box is the negative.

If you don't mind paying a bit extra, spending a bit more time on inspections and having extra equipment...then use all mediums, its the best option.

For reference 3 mediums = 2 deeps

burns, if you use two deeps as brood chamber and mediums for honey, how can you move a deep drawn frame up into a medium super? ...or am I not understanding you correctly?

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bjtmjc

· #7 · Jun 12, 2014

In southern California, my double deep hives were difficult to manage - they get really strong. I am trying a single deep with a medium on 2 hives. So far so good.

We have intermittent flows all year long here, so a strong colony going into winter is not necessary. I usually pull a super of what is probably rosemary honey between Thanksgiving and New Years.

My thought is that location and climate is key.

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Rob73

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jun 12, 2014

bjtmjc, do you have trouble with colonies dying off? It doesnt sound like they have to "over winter". That seems to be one of the most common times for a hive to dwindle away from starvation or other health issues. In a climate like yours, do you have that kind of problem too?

Rob

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Dunkel

· #9 · Jun 12, 2014

Rob, here in the eastern part I rather run two deeps. I have found for me that they make more honey in that configuration. The deep mediums make about the same most of the time, but the odds of a boomer or three always happens with a two deep setup. Those queens that really lay and hives that come through in good shape seem to really take off.

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Tim KS

· #10 · Jun 12, 2014

Dunkel said:
Rob, here in the eastern part I rather run two deeps. I have found for me that they make more honey in that configuration. The deep mediums make about the same most of the time, but the odds of a boomer or three always happens with a two deep setup. Those queens that really lay and hives that come through in good shape seem to really take off.

What is a deep medium?

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Dunkel

· #11 · Jun 12, 2014

Meant deep and medium brood area

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rweaver7777

· #12 · Jun 13, 2014

I'm in TN and am switching to overwinter in 3 mediums. Have had 2 deeps. Still have one double-deep but will convert it this year to the 3 medium.

Benefit is that all my equipment will be the same size.

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Acebird

· #13 · Jun 14, 2014

For you first year with all mediums try to go with four. You probably can do three in TN but I would shoot for four the first time around.

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