Converting deep nucs to medium hives

[Maggiesdad]

c'mere, you!

[Dallasbeek]

c'mere, you!

LOL!!!   

[don2]

The way I see it, if you have 2 nucs you have no choice but to start with both your deep boxes. Add deep frames to each to make out ten frames. Then when it comes time to add a box, add your modified 8 frame medium, etc. you may want to keep your deeps as is un till you are sure where you are going with things. The difference between 8 frame and 10 frames If you already have 10 frame boxes and tops, etc. all you need to do is put a 10 frame medium on the deep when they need another box. as for weight there is not that big of a difference between an 8 and 10 frame medium. The main difference is between a deep and medium when full of honey. 90 pounds verses 40/50 pounds.

Get a good start this year and put as many  medium boxes on as needed,  most likely the bottom will be empty next spring. d2

[OldMech]

Seems some have gotten a bit off track.. and I have some wuestions about the original post, but I will say this...
   Do what is simplest for now.
   If you have deeps coming, then the "easiest" thing to do is use a deep box, as I said, for now. Nothing is etched in stone, and can be changed out. Beekeeping is an extended hobby.. In my lifetime, I HOPE to have another 20 springs in which I can do splits and make queens, but even so, I dont try to rush anything.
   A deep box, even if you use medium frames to finish filling it is fine. When they get it going well, put a medium box above it, and when it is nearly filled with drawn comb, put a THIRD medium box on the hive...
   As already mentioned, when spring arrives, the bees will be up top. Remove the deep completely You can then cut it down into a medium, and you can trim off the excess comb the bees put under the spare medium frames you had in the deep. At this point, your only waste is the deep frames that came in the nuc.  As Mr. Bush mentioned, if you have a wee bit of ability, they too can be salvaged and cut to mediums.
   It is really that simple....
    TO go the other route?  Use two medium boxes. Put 3 medium frames in each of those two boxes, and slide the deeps in the middle of them..     IE;  MDDDDDMM    for an 8 frame configuration..   again, work up to two medium boxes above this configuration, so when spring arrives you can pull it out. Re arrange the six frames you have into a single box. Add two more frames with foundation and put this on the top.
   It is very doable, you just decide how to do it based on your own desires. Modify to suit your situation and needs. That is the great thing about beekeeping!  You can personalize.
  Hope that helps!

[mtnb]

I'm attempting the same thing. I'm brand new at this and don't even have the bees yet so don't believe anything I say.  I've been reading and reading about how to do this and everyone makes it sound so difficult. I think it can be as difficult or as easy as we want it to be. MB suggested I stick with what I want and deal with that. That's my plan. I want all 8 frame mediums. It seems to me, when you put deep frames into two medium boxes with medium frames, all the bees end up doing is build drone brood on the bottoms of the deep frames where there is too much space. That doesn't seem so bad. Or is it? Idk It doesn't seem so bad to me...here's something I found 
http://www.centralmarylandbees.org/content/wp-content/uploads/Transitioning%20Deeps.pdf

I'm gonna end up doing something like method 1 except I'm not sure about the queen excluder yet...I may also end up cutting the frames down. Well, my hubby, who's a carpenter, lol. Or removing the comb once the larva is hatched and fit it into a medium frame. We shall see. Beekeeping seems to be such an open-ended...hobby?...where you can try all sorts of things and see if they work...or not. It seems like I'm gonna learn so much! I can't wait! And from what I hear, no matter what we do, the bees will fix it how they like it.

Welcome, btw. 

OldMech is so helpful!

[OldMech]

all the bees end up doing is build drone brood on the bottoms of the deep frames where there is too much space. That doesn't seem so bad.


   Nope, it takes about a second and a half to zip the excess comb off with the hive tool and it will then fit in the medium.

   A lot of things SOUND so complicated when they are being described, but the application of those things is actually quite simple once you understand.

  I try to be Helpfull..  thats what were here for!  So long as Michael Bush doesnt cross the state line and beat knots on my head I'll keep trying!

[biggraham610]

Dallasbeek, thank you for your reply.  I truly do apologize for getting off on the wrong foot.  Yes, Michael is fantastic.  I have been corresponding with him for a couple of months, and it was he who suggested I get on this forum.  He mentioned it was the most polite and helpful.

Again I'm truly sorry and apologize to everyone for getting off on the wrong foot.

I'll sit quietly by .. I'm sure any future questions I have will have been asked before, and I can just search the site for answers.

Thanks to everyone.

I don't know what it is you are apologizing for........ I was simply trying to make you think twice about bolting from a valuable resource for all beekeepers. Good Luck in your endeavors. G

[Dallasbeek]

Graham, everyone,   --  best to just let this drop.  I don't know what is up, but I think the least said, the better.  Let's let this string go and let the lady or gentleman be.  Please?

[biggraham610]

Graham, everyone,   --  best to just let this drop.  I don't know what is up, but I think the least said, the better.  Let's let this string go and let the lady or gentleman be.  Please?

Fine by me, I miss the wood chopper. darn how I miss the wood chopper. Remember that smiley, that was the best smiley I ever ran across. Well, splits are lookin good, saw a virgin in one of my hives today, and a package I hived Sunday morning has eggs across 6 freshly drawn frames...... they were quick! Poplar gettin ready to go. Hope everyone's spring is looking good. G

[Duane]

I would suggest working out some way to get the equipment you require to do things the way you wish. If you have intentions of staying in the bee keeping business spend the $'s that it will to get the pieces of equipment you will need. 

Yes, I have decided 8 frame mediums.  What I don't want to do is spend more money going in the direction I don't want to go in, 10 frame deeps.  My question was, how do I do that.  Obviously, from some comments, I'm making it harder.  Sometimes I get mental blocks.

I would not put any frames of a different size in another size box. Or anything else to take place of frame space. You are asking for BIG,BIG, trouble.

Don't want that.  Guess that includes chipboard?

You can take an 8 frame box then put a narrow strip on each side on the bottom sides of the 8 frame box so when you center it on a box under it the two strips extending  out will cover the space in the 10 frame box on each side.

Now there's a thought I hadn't thought of!  I will consider that with the others.

[Duane]

   A deep box, even if you use medium frames to finish filling it is fine. When they get it going well, put a medium box above it, and when it is nearly filled with drawn comb, put a THIRD medium box on the hive...
   As already mentioned, when spring arrives, the bees will be up top. Remove the deep completely You can then cut it down into a medium, and you can trim off the excess comb the bees put under the spare medium frames you had in the deep.

Now this is where I had a mental block.  I had not considered that as an option.  I thought it was bad to have comb hanging on your bottom bar and willing to do all kinds of risky things to avoid it.  For you can't just have comb hanging off by itself.  But the top bar hive keepers have to worry about being careful and not setting the frames down.  So why can't this be bottom bar beekeeping!  Anyway, thanks for the suggestion.  I just couldn't think of doing that.  But there really is no problem.  It should be just as straight as any other foundationless frame, so it doesn't matter.

TO go the other route?  Use two medium boxes. Put 3 medium frames in each of those two boxes, and slide the deeps in the middle of them..     IE;  MDDDDDMM    for an 8 frame configuration..   again, work up to two medium boxes above this configuration, so when spring arrives you can pull it out. Re arrange the six frames you have into a single box. Add two more frames with foundation and put this on the top.
   It is very doable, you just decide how to do it based on your own desires. Modify to suit your situation and needs. That is the great thing about beekeeping!  You can personalize.
  Hope that helps!

I'm thinking that was what I originally wanting to do minus the 2x4's, but now I'm thinking how can I look in there, how I would always have to have an empty box to put it on.  I'll have to think through how much extra comb both ways, but I'm thinking maybe like Don suggested with a narrow strip on the sides and fill the rest of the deep with mediums and not worry about extra comb.  I might have tried the MT Bee Girl's link before, but now I see no problem with extra comb hanging below, seems simple indeed!  I think one reason bees may build drone comb if you normally use foundation is finally the bees have a chance and so they take it.  But drones are good.  Especially if you want to raise queens.

Thanks everyone.

[don2]

I would suggest using some kind of marker, if you decide to put medium frames in a deep box. That is if these mental blocks are frequent. d2

[Dallasbeek]

I would suggest using some kind of marker, if you decide to put medium frames in a deep box. That is if these mental blocks are frequent. d2

These mental blocks?  Oh, yeah, these mental blocks.  

[OldMech]

Mental blocks?  Are those used to stop the voices?   

[Dallasbeek]

Your guess is as good as then next guy's.  I think maybe it blocks the beams from the spsce guys, kinda like aluminum foil hats.

[Duane]

Well now that the three hives are still alive, I'm looking at what to do next.  I added mediums to the deeps and as expected, they added comb to the bottom of the mediums.  The problem is that only one made a partial second box.  The other deep is only in the deep.  (Splitting may have delayed it)

I looked in the one with 2 boxes, and the queen was laying in the top medium.  I looked in the deep bottom, and it appeared to me they were planning on moving down.  If I'm right, this is contrary to what I've read elsewhere about needing to swap boxes.  Looked to me they had plans.  The deep frames below the brood nest had pollen and looked like some fresh nectar scattered around.  Making a choice, I moved those deeps to the outside edges and put my mediums under the brood of the top.  It's been cold and/or windy the last couple of weeks so haven't looked back.

The other single deep box, I moved some of the unoccupied deeps to the far side and put the mediums nearer the brood.

If it's not too late when I get back in, with the empty comb hanging off the bottoms of the mediums, should I cut that off now?  That is, should I remove it before they start adding bees and/or honey to it or will they just immediately build it back meaning I'm wasting their resources?  Before the honey flow, maybe the won't add it back?

Maybe I should add a medium box to each, move what mediums their on up and some empty frames below or where need be?  Is that too much space, or not a worry this early in the spring?

[divemaster1963]

Just chiming in. I have all ten frame. And my back has payed for it. IV stayed with 10 frame deeps on my older equipment . but what I have gone to to help me is making a flat bed wheel barrow to hold a empty deep and the pull individual frames and clear bees and place it into the empty box swapping out with empty frames. This allowed me to consider weight  I have to haul and the amount of stores for the hive. We had a bad winter down here and because of a long cold then hot then cold spell we had stores were the tilting point on many hives.  Hope this helps

John

[Eric Bosworth]

Divemaster I like your idea but I will do you one better... I have a quick detach bucket for the tractor and I am going to get a weldable plate and weld forks to it. Then I can do your approach but use the forks from the tractor rather than a wheel barrow.

[divemaster1963]

Good luck I tried that and hit a dip in the yard. It still hurts to think about that day
Lost 120 lbs of honey and the fight was on with the girls. Caused massive robbing event.
John

I found Ican walk slowly and look were the wheels are going. 

[Eric Bosworth]

Did it occur to you to strap them down?