Pros and Cons of hive body size

[K-R-Farms]

I have started with 2, 6-5/8" hive bodies.
Someone told me I should have started with one 10" body.

I live in cold winter northern Indiana.

What advice is out there concerning the matter of size... all jokes aside.

[Wes Sapp]

If you haven't looked at this site I would. He lives in cold Nebraska
http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslazy.htm#lighterboxes
And:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesnewbees.htm

[derrick1p1]

Actually, I think it is better that you started with mediums instead of deeps.  Having equipment all the same size would have helped me with some trouble I had this spring.  I'm currently converting to all medium equipment.

check out M. Bush's site for the benefits of it.  
http://www.bushfarms.com/beeseightframemedium.htm

I plan on over wintering with 3 mediums (2 for brood chamber, 1 for stores) instead of using 1 deep for brood and 1 medium for stores.

[_Brenda_]

I started with all mediums. I don't see that the size difference would matter that much? Time will tell.

[Scadsobees]

I use 2 deeps (10") for the brood, that would correlate to about 3 mediums, which is what you have.

As far as the bees go, it doesn't matter too much.  I think that 2 deeps have a slight advantage over 3 mediums when overwintering, but it is very slight.

All mediums are nice because they are a bit lighter (still heavy) but used for brood that doesn't matter so much since you don't carry them around or even lift them often.

It is nice to be able to have all the same size frames for interchangeability.  There too, if all your brood boxes are deeps, it won't matter all that much.

I like deeps for brood because you have around 30% less equipment to buy  (or make!) and assemble.  I mostly all mediums for honey production.

Rick

[K-R-Farms]

Actually, I think it is better that you started with mediums instead of deeps.  Having equipment all the same size would have helped me with some trouble I had this spring.  I'm currently converting to all medium equipment.

check out M. Bush's site for the benefits of it.  


I plan on over wintering with 3 mediums (2 for brood chamber, 1 for stores) instead of using 1 deep for brood and 1 medium for stores.

When you say, "instead of", does that mean you are changing, if so, why?

[eri]

I started with 2 10-frame deeps because that's how the guy who sells them does his. Now I wish I'd gone with 8-frame mediums, or at least 10-frame mediums. Still haven't figured out exactly how to eventually vacate the bees from the deeps so I can cut them down.

Good luck!

[Wes Sapp]

eri, stick a med. on top of the deep if you haven't already. When you know the queen is up in the med. put a queen excluder between the supers and then let the brood hatch out of the deep, then you can remove it.

[Two Bees]

I think you would have flexibility when using mediums for brood and honey supering.  Typically, you would use three mediums for your brood boxes instead of two deeps.

For example, you would stack additional mediums supers on top for honey storage.  If you are not going to use a queen excluder between the medium brood and medium honey supers and your queen lays eggs in your honey super (fourth box), it seems to me that you would be able to move these "brood frames" down into the lower three mediums and replace them with frames from the lower three boxes that do not have any brood in them.

[Wes Sapp]

I think you would have flexibility when using mediums for brood and honey supering.  Typically, you would use three mediums for your brood boxes instead of two deeps.

For example, you would stack additional mediums supers on top for honey storage.  If you are not going to use a queen excluder between the medium brood and medium honey supers and your queen lays eggs in your honey super (fourth box), it seems to me that you would be able to move these "brood frames" down into the lower three mediums and replace them with frames from the lower three boxes that do not have any brood in them.

Amen brother! Some times they fill the brood chamber with honey, ie:honey bound. If they do fill a deep frame with honey, and they will, you can't move that frame up unless your using all deeps.

[eri]

Thanks, Wes. May be a strategy for next year. Already have brood & honey in both deeps, put the medium on top last week. If the colony is strong in the spring I'm thinking of doing a split, leaving 1 deep on the bottom of each and supering with mediums above that. Then I can think about the queen excluder.

[KONASDAD]

Personally, I have become against doing all mediums. Yes there are advantages to being uniform in size, but I have come to dislike mediums for brood chambers entirely. Yes they are lighter and uniformity would be nice, but i dont want to deal w/ all deeps, and i dont like all mediums.


First, three mediums cost more then two deeps,

secondly, IMO you lose worker brood area w/ 3 mediums as compared to two deeps. Why? because 8 more corners and sides to fuill w/ things other than workers. Drones, pollen honey.
Drones become a a tax on hive, reduces honey, pollen etc. makes it harder for buildup w/ all those food grubbing drones. More drones equals more mites come fall too.

3rd-way too much burr comb and a hassle to deal w/.

4rth- takes longert to inspect

5th harder to do sugar shakes, it takes more sugar b/c of all burr comb in way.

6-bees get caught out of position in winter when we have days of 55f followed by 15F ten hrs later. Harder to heat too.

I was attempting to go to all mediums and have abandoned the idea. I usually winter w/ a deep, and honeypacked medium on top. I have these b/c my supers are mediums and i take exytar frames and insure ample food.

[Ross]

Michael Bush will tell you that they get stranded easier on deeps because they can't move sideways as easily.

[derrick1p1]

K-R-Farms, yes I plan to change over to all mediums by end of next spring.  I'm waiting until then, because I hope that (like last winter), they will eventually move up into the mediums, allowing me to remove the deep and then cut it down to med. size.

If they don't do it on their own, I'll follow some of the suggestions on here to get them to move into the mediums.  I like the idea of all uniform equipment.  Sometimes I need to share queen cells (can be cut out, but doesn't always work well), stores, brood, eggs etc, and can't because what I need to add to a deep is only on a hive with mediums.  I also want to go foundationless, which is more practical using mediums, at least for me.

Hope this make sense to you.

[indypartridge]

After reading thru all the replies, I believe the bottom line is that it comes down to your personal preference. You can overwinter in three mediums or two deeps.