Newby with a queston- Deeps or Mediums

[Ibmerlin]

Most Hives I have seen are two deeps for the hive and mediums or shallows for the honey supers. I have seen 3 mediums used for the hive also. It seems to me that it may be better to use 3 mediums for less weight. Any opinions on which is better and why?

Also if 3 mediums are used would you start a new hive with 2 and add 1 later?

Thanks
Merlin

[Michael Bush]

>Most Hives I have seen are two deeps for the hive and mediums or shallows for the honey supers. I have seen 3 mediums used for the hive also. It seems to me that it may be better to use 3 mediums for less weight. Any opinions on which is better and why?

I like eight frame mediums.  The eight frames seems to winter better as they are closer to the width of the cluster and the mediums seem to winter better as the cluster is usually spanning the gap between the boxes which allows the cluster to expand and contract where they cannot do so easily when they are all in one box as in the deep.

>Also if 3 mediums are used would you start a new hive with 2 and add 1 later?

Start with one.  Add one later.  Add another later.  I start my packages in either a five frame medium nuc box or an eight frame medium box.

[poka-bee]

I chose 8frm meds cause of the weight, not getting any younger! they are a managable weight even for an old bat like me.  It is nice to have all frames the same size in case I need to do anything..havn't had any issues yet & we shall see how they did in the spring. 1 box to start, then add another, then another, then another.  They were up to 6 boxes this summer, now back to 4.  All are heavy 40-50lbs so hoping they have enough to eat!  It doesn't get super cold for super long here, just a few days at a time.  Seen em bringing in pollen a/48f. Sposed to get into the teens by the weekend though...eehhh!  J

[BGhoney]

Check in your area and see what most are using.  In our bee club, nucs and brood boxes so far have all been deeps,  would be some work to transfer deep frames of brood into med boxes.  You could also go 8 frame deeps, I have heard they may be top heavy, never tried it.

[Brian D. Bray]

I do it pretty much the same way as Michael Bush, either 5 frame medium nucs or 8 frame medium boxes.  A 2 story medium nuc (10 frames total) makes a very handy, easily moved hive that is easily increased into a 2 story 8 frame hive.  Build the Mid-summer splits into the 2 story nucs for winter and then transfer them into 2 story 8 frame the 2nd year.

[Ibmerlin]

thank you all for the input. I am going with mediums.  Not for a really stupid quesstion. I tend to over think things. so here goes, Is there a difference between the cell size for honey foundations and brood  foundations?

Thanks again Merlin

[Michael Bush]

>thank you all for the input. I am going with mediums.  Not for a really stupid quesstion. I tend to over think things. so here goes, Is there a difference between the cell size for honey foundations and brood  foundations?

In natural comb?  In foundation?

In natural comb the bees build an intermediate size to store honey in.  Slightly larger than the brood nest but smaller than drone.  Although they will store some honey in drone comb.

You can use drone foundation for honey supers, but I recommend you use an excluder or leave plenty of drone comb in the brood nest.  Usually people use standard brood foundation in the supers.

Small cell beekeepers typically use 4.9mm everywhere, but a few use standard (5.4mm) foundation in the supers.

[Ibmerlin]

Michael, thank you for all the help. Your web pages are very informative also.

I finally ordered enough supplies for 2 hives. I was going to buy from Dadant because I live close and thought I might save on shipping but they did not sell 8frame hives components. I ordered from Bushy Mountain.  We have cold winter up here and hope this setup may be the best for my area.

2     8-Frame Hive Top Feeder w/Floats
2     8 Frame IPM Bottom Board
2     8 Frame Inner Cover
2     8 Frame Hive Stand
2     8 Frame Metal Excluder
80     6-1/4 Frame Wedge Top/Divided Bottom
7     10 Shts 5-5/8 Small Cell Crimp Wire Foundation
50     White 5 1/2'' Plastic Foundation
2     8--Frame Entrance Reducer
10     8-Frame Unassembled Pine DT Medium Super


I figured that I would use small wax foundation for the hive and try plastic for the honey supers. I am hoping that the bees will take to the wax forms faster and get the hive up and running faster. Thought that after the hive is well established the plastic may not bother the bees as much and maybe better for extracting.

Now I just have to find a good place to order the bees.

Thanks again!
Merlin

[Brian D. Bray]

You have a good, well thought out list.
Two suggestions. 
1. Air the plastic foundation out as much as possible as soon after delivery as possible, the more air time they have the more the bees will be willing to work them.  There is just something about new plastic smell that the bees hate.
2. Get some wax, somewhere, and give those plastic foundations another coat.  Use a foam brush and coat left to right and then top to bottom.  apply with light contact. The extra wax will help the bees accept the plastic even better and is less likely to leave bare spots that the bees won't work.  It is very irritating to find frames that have comb and bare spots scattered about because the thin film of wax applied had the factory chipped off.

[Michael Bush]

Better yet, if you want to use plastic, get the PF120s from Mann Lake.  They are 4.95mm.