Medium VS Standard

[Hillbillenigma]

New Bee here with lots of Questions - some may be just preference (but I would like to here your answers anyway) and some may actually have some sound or scientific reasoning why you chose what you use.  Here are my first couple of questions

? For a new Beekeeper who wants to start out (most likely 1 Hive only to start) and standardize everything for the future what would you recommend and why;

- Standard size Hive with 8 9 1/8" Frames
- Medium Size Hive with 16 6 1/4" Frames
- Standard size Hive with 10 Frames

? What is your preference for Hive and Super material - Pine or Cypress? 

? What is your preference for Hive Finish - Paint or Clear Varnish?

Please tell me your choices and why. 

Thanks in advance.   

[poka-bee]

 8frm med.  I'm not getting any younger & built like a hobbit (without the hairy feet) so wrangling the 10frms even being the 6 1/4 would have been a struggle when full. Mine are 40-50lbs as it is w/honey.  No one to help work em.  I chose one size so that every frame could go everywhere, less chance for me to mess things up! :-D

Pine, there is no cypress close to here, shipping was too much.  :-x

Paint cause the "oops" paint is $4 a gallon & I like the different colors, easy application & clean up ;) Varnish has icky-ier fumes! :shock:

You didn't ask but I chose telescoping w/inner covers cause we get a lot of wind & rain here in the winter & seems to me it would keep things drier & harder for the wind to blow off + I can stick a chix waterer in an empty super on top of the inner frame to feed or dump wax/honey scrapings, come back later & collect the cleaned wax helps prevent a robbing frenzy.

Good luck!  Think of what you will want to wrestle with 40 years from now.. :-D

Jody

[Hillbillenigma]

Hi Poka - I hadn't considered the Medium 8 Frame version.  I was looking at the Brushy Mtn Catalog and I will go back and see what I can find on the 8frm Med. 

What exactly does a "Telescoping Cover" do?  Is it made so that you can add "spacers" underneath it to increase the circulation, etc.   

I can't even imagine what the "Wax dump" part of your reply means, that is far beyond what I have read so far!   :-D   

I've done quite a bit of painting / Furn refinishing so I don't particularly mind the Varnish fumes when applying - and I assume that the Varnish fumes won't hurt the bees (when the Weather gets hot)??    I will be keeping my Hive within 300-400 feet of my house and I was just thinking of Stain/Varnish as something that will look nice and blend with the natural landscape. 

Thanks for your reply!! 

[poka-bee]

I don't know why they call it that, :?  its just a cover that has sides going down a couple of inches, like the top of a shoebox. You being a guy might not find the weight or width a problem.  Jody

[Brian D. Bray]

I don't know why they call it that, :?  its just a cover that has sides going down a couple of inches, like the top of a shoebox. You being a guy might not find the weight or width a problem.  Jody

It's called a telescopic top because the top telescopes down over the top super.  An inner cover is required if you ever plan to remove the top to inspect the bees.  A telescopic top without an inner cover is Chainsaw Massacre time.   I use the 8 frame mediums too, but prefer a version of the migratory top, no inner cover to mess with and I can use my old bottom boards for them.   The bees really don't mind what type of top is on the hive so it's a matter of person preference.

[bassman1977]

Medium Size Hive with 16 6 1/4" Frames

Pro:  Lighter
Con:  2 mediums are a bit more expensive than 1 deep.

? What is your preference for Hive and Super material - Pine or Cypress?

I've only had pine.  I've heard of pine supers lasting 20+ years and still be usable.  Why pay extra for cypress when you will probably get long service out of pine.

? What is your preference for Hive Finish - Paint or Clear Varnish?

Paint.  No reason why.  I have a lot of extra on hand.  I have some boxes that I haven't painted yet.  I'll do that when I pull them in for the year.

most likely 1 Hive only to start

Start with two so you can compare results and help each other out if needs be.

[annette]

All mediums definitely. Much lighter to lift and having all supers the same size is wonderful because you can move frames around as you need to.

If I had it to start all over again, I would definitely go with 8 frame mediums. Right now all my equipment is for 10 frames.

Good luck with everything.
Annette

[ArmucheeBee]

I'm a newbee since July.  I jumped in with both feet.  I built all my own equipment from plywood (7 sheet, 3/4 inch) birch in think.  It's strong as heck but not light.  Use a latex for the least mess and cleanup.  I made standard deeps but now wish I had made all mediums.  I like the idea of going to all mediums and using the standard box and chick feeder inside (polkabee).  I also just made a top bar hive and an Observation hive, so i'm in with both feet.  I like the idea of using no foundation too, but I have initially invested in MannLake PF plastic frames.  They are drawing them OK but we are in a dearth so nothing goes real fast now.  
So next year I want to end up with 1 top bar hive, 1 ob hive, one all medium, and one double deep with medium supers.  That's what I want, not what will actually happen!!  My OB hive is 8 mediums and in my garage.  I also built two Miller-type top feeders which I really like and the bees do too.

[ArmucheeBee]

Bassman:   

I did not know how much I was missing until I got a second hive--night and day!!!

[bassman1977]

Bassman:   

I did not know how much I was missing until I got a second hive--night and day!!!

I started out with one.  From these forums I learned how to make a new one without dropping another dime into more bees.  So then I had two.  The most valuable thing about having 2 hives, IMO, is being able to help out that weak hive with resources from the strong hive.

[Michael Bush]

>- Standard size Hive with 8 9 1/8" Frames
- Medium Size Hive with 16 6 1/4" Frames
- Standard size Hive with 10 Frames

I started with deeps for brood and shallows for supers.  Went to all deeps for standardization and then to mediums for lighter weight and then to eight frame mediums for even lighter weight.  I though it was worth cutting everything I had down to do it.  It would have been MUCH easier to buy eight frame mediums to start with.

>? What is your preference for Hive and Super material - Pine or Cypress?

Same price?  Cypress.  For the money?  Pine.

>? What is your preference for Hive Finish - Paint or Clear Varnish?

It really doesn't matter that much to me.  I stopped painting and then when I bought a lot of equipment I bought a tank and dipped them in beeswax and rosin.

[Hillbillenigma]

Thanks again to everyone for their input.   I can see I picked a great place to start learning the art. 

So, 8 Frame Medium it is.  Pine is fine with me, I will opt for Dovetailed joints (Glued and Nailed).   I think I will stick with my plan to Stain and Varnish (I have more time than sense) making sure I do not get any on the tops of the Walls or inside (tape should do the trick). 

Thanks again and I am sure I will post more questions as I get farther into my research.