One deep

[CountryBee]

Do you think I could keep my honeybees in 1 deep instead of 2 deeps in NY?  I have always only had 2 deeps and slowly switching to all mediums but in the mean time do you think they will make the winter in 1 deep each?  Then I could do splits? Thanks Country :)

[AllenF]

In insulated and heated boxes done the right way with feed, ya.  Look at how Finski does it.

[CountryBee]

I do use the blue foam insulation. :-D

[harvey]

I have three hives in Michigan that are only one deep right now,  I have my fingers crossed that they build out the second deep during the goldenrod flow but if not they will be on there own to try and winter.  Seems like they would now what they need to survive and I will not be taking anything off of these hives this year.  They are all swarms that I caught in june,  seem to be hearty bees and they are quite a bit smaller than the package bees I have so maybe?

[bigbearomaha]

 I have a couple swarms like that here in Omaha.

Hived them in June and only just now starting to draw comb in the second box.  Other colonies are second box and beyond.

veddy inderesdink

Big Bear

[CountryBee]

"A swarm in June is worth a silver spoon" means they are valuable, same situation as mine.  Just stuck with what to do with the 5. :?  I could feed but we have white clover and goldenrod here now but it looks like the bees are working but not much buildup.  Maybe I am expecting too much out of them. :(  Just don't want to loose the 5 this winter because of starvation when I could have done something to prevent it for them.  One deep each and won't build comb it looks like on second deep, maybe not enough clover?  Maybe they are just getting ready for winter already?  I have reducers in case of robbing what little they do have.  Not sure. :'(

[harvey]

I had a hive last year make it through winter, it was two deeps but the bees only used maybe six frames of honey all winter and this spring there was still a lot of capped honey in the hive.  It was on the outer edges though were probably the cluster couldn't get to?  I am really hoping the hives I have right now that are only one deep build out to two but I still don't want to feed them?  Goldenrod looks real good around here but it hasn't really started yet.  If we don't get any rain I don't think they will pull any nectar off of it either. 

[David Stokely]

If they have 2 deeps to make it through the winter with and they only use 1 deep or even only a portion of 1 deep, there's no harm.  The left over honey isn't going to spoil.  It's like money in the bank.  They could use it to build up brood in the early spring, etc. or you could even extract it in the spring. . .but! if they need 2 deeps and only have 1, they are dead.

We have such variability in our winters here in Indiana.  I remember winters which started November 1 and lasted until April 1 and I can remember other winters where golfers were out on Christmas day in shorts.  1 deep may be sufficient for 7 winters out of 10, but your bees will die the other 3.

I frequent a number of weather blogs and people are saying this coming winter is looking possibly to be bitterly cold.  There are large masses of very cold water in the eastern Pacific, setting up a strong La Nina event.

I know there are economic costs at leaving them 2 deeps, but from a strictly economic view, I would be money ahead killing the bees each fall and taking all the honey. . .starting with new bees each spring.  I mean that's a 100 lbs of honey I'm leaving them. @ $5.00/lb I'm getting for my honey I can buy lots of bees for $500, but for me it's not just about the honey.  I love keeping bees and I want to develop the healthiest, strongest bee race I can, resistant to all the little critters they are afflicted with right now.  I'll say it again I love keeping bees. . .it's not just about the honey or the money. . .

[CountryBee]

Thanks. :)