honey supers

Started by asciibaron, March 13, 2009, 02:51:58 PM

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asciibaron

what size honey super should i go with, regular or medium?  i will not be using an extractor, just a big knife - the larger super should yield more honey per frame.  the plan is to crush and strain the honey and to have some comb as well...

-steve

iddee

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JP

If you will only be keeping a few hives you could use all deeps if you wanted to. Instead of moving the entire super all at one time you could remove what frames you wanted to, replace, and so on.

Or you could pull half the frames, put them aside and pull the entire box less the 5 frames.

Point being you don't have to remove the entire box with its full weight. With deeps you will have more honey because they hold more.


...JP
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rast

 It really depends on your back and arms. My back has a really rough time with that top box when it is 4 deeps high. However, if I could run all deeps physically, I would. Just less work at extracting time.
Fools argue; wise men discuss.
    --Paramahansa Yogananda

IABeeMan

 I myself believe this is probably the question that will get the most different answers. It is also the one that there is truely no wrong answer. It is simply a choice of preference. The deeps mean more honey and less equipment. They also mean back breaker if you move an entire box at a time. The mediums mean more honey than the shallow but less than the deep. Mediums can still be heavy if full. Shallows mean less honey and more equipment but easier to carry, load, unload. shallows are also the correct depth for comb honey boxes.
I myself use all 3 and have been told I am nuts but it works great for me. I use deeps for brood, mediums for liquid honey, and shallows for comb honey.

challenger

Quotei will not be using an extractor, just a big knife

How do you plan on removing the honey w/o an extractor. I suspect you are not using comb honey if you are asking about the size of the supers.

QuoteI myself use all 3 and have been told I am nuts but it works great for me. I use deeps for brood, mediums for liquid honey, and shallows for comb honey.

I think this is ideal. Why would anyone argue this approach? Deeps make the best hive bodies IMO. The Kim Flotam (spelled wrong) position that using only mediums because then you will have the size on hand if you need an extra super or hive body doesn't hold a lot of weight-w-me. If you run deeps for the hive and need an "emergency" honey super then use a deep (on top of a shallow or medium-w-some honey in the center at least) and remove frames of capped honey instead of the whole 100 lb box.

I would love to do comb honey at some point. How easy would that be compared to  extracting! In my area it is looked upon as too  "old time" and I doubt it would sell too well. I have my hopes very high for a great harvest/sale so I can write a nice check to the cancer foundation. There is a long time before this can happen but I've been busting my butt to get all the required supplies ready. All that I have left is to frame some foundation and make my extractor. The extractor will be the big challenge.
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Natalie

You can do comb honey in any size frame. Its a matter of using the square comb cutter and any left over pieces you use for chunk honey.

gmcharlie

Quote from: challenger on March 15, 2009, 11:03:40 AM
Quotei will not be using an extractor, just a big knife

How do you plan on removing the honey w/o an extractor. I suspect you are not using comb honey if you are asking about the size of the supers.

QuoteI myself use all 3 and have been told I am nuts but it works great for me. I use deeps for brood, mediums for liquid honey, and shallows for comb honey.

I think this is ideal. Why would anyone argue this approach? Deeps make the best hive bodies IMO. The Kim Flotam (spelled wrong) position that using only mediums because then you will have the size on hand if you need an extra super or hive body doesn't hold a lot of weight-w-me. If you run deeps for the hive and need an "emergency" honey super then use a deep (on top of a shallow or medium-w-some honey in the center at least) and remove frames of capped honey instead of the whole 100 lb box.

I would love to do comb honey at some point. How easy would that be compared to  extracting! In my area it is looked upon as too  "old time" and I doubt it would sell too well. I have my hopes very high for a great harvest/sale so I can write a nice check to the cancer foundation. There is a long time before this can happen but I've been busting my butt to get all the required supplies ready. All that I have left is to frame some foundation and make my extractor. The extractor will be the big challenge.



Your 100% right   the sizes have been perfected for optimum use   deeps are the best for brood  HOWEVER   us youg guys must remember that many beeks   are a tad older,  women,  and handicapped.....   that said,   many times meduims and shallow supers are just fine........

So  use the standard langstroth if you can,  if not  size to suit.....

Personaly at this point in time I like the  Illinois Supers,  don't need as many or tended to as often as the shallows...  if you did a  stack of say 3 mediums  and 5 shallows..  you would find more working space for the bees in the 3 mediums  despite teh fact that 5 shallows are taller.

Bee-Bop

gmcharlie;

I have found a lot of new people are confused with the meanings of;

Shallow = basicly, used for comb honey
Medium or Illinois or Dadant = honey super, some use for brood also.
Deep = honey or brood

Also the terms;

Super Box = honey storage
Brood Box = well, were the queen and itibity baby bees are found

Bee-Bop
" If Your not part of the genetic solution of breeding mite-free bees, then You're part of the problem "

gmcharlie

Good point,  since I am from Illinois  I tend to overlook that description..........Freudian slip??