Newbie: Size of supers

[joekurm]

I am planning on starting next year. I was going to do it now, but had surgery and need 2 more.  I was wondering if it is OK to use all 6 5/8" supers for the entire hive and not 9 5/8" for the bottom chambers. I am planning on making the boxes and ordering the frames.

Thanks

[Mklangelo]

Hi Joe,

I hope your surgery went well. As for frame size, if the weight of the items is a problem, you could go with 8 or even 9 frames in your boxes as opposed to 10.  I would stick with the deep size for brood chambers since you really wouldn't want to limit that. Brood is what it's all about.

[wvbee]

Joe, It is really what you want to do.  There is also the opinion that the use of all medium supers allows for greater flexibility. If you have all the same size frames, you can move them and use them for whatever you need.  I am in my second year of beekeeping and am going to all medium supers and frames. 

[livetrappingbymatt]

if your surgery is back related or weight restrictive you may want to consider 8 frame med w/shallow honey boxs?
what state are you in? north or south? in cold weather you may need something totally differant?
bob

[annette]

I started my hive with 2 deeps but could not lift those heavy boxes. When researched further I was told I could just use honey supers for the top boxes and leave the larger deep on the bottom.  This is what I did and things have worked out great. Also I was told that 3 honey supers equals the same size as 2 large supers, so you could just go with 3 honey supers in place of the larger brood boxes. Someday,I plan on replacing the bottom larger super with a small honey super and ending up with the 3 honey supers for the brood.  It would make it easier if you could just switch out frames easier with one size,so I suggest you go with the 3 honey supers for the brood.
this info was given to me by Randy Oliver a great beekeeper in Grass Valley Ca.

[pdmattox]

You can run all mediums if you want in 8 or 10 frame.  Running all mediums has the advantage to easily manipulate the hive. I like 8 frame equipment and Brian Bray does all his beekeeping from a wheelchair and runs all mediums as does michale bush.

[Michael Bush]

>I am planning on starting next year. I was going to do it now, but had surgery and need 2 more.  I was wondering if it is OK to use all 6 5/8" supers for the entire hive and not 9 5/8" for the bottom chambers. I am planning on making the boxes and ordering the frames.

I prefer all eight frame mediums:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslazy.htm
I cut down all my ten frame boxes to eight and all my deeps to medium:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beeseightframemedium.htm

[Brian D. Bray]

I do the majority of my beekeeping from a wheelchair.  8 frame mediums are the only way to do it with conventional langstroth hives.  They are narrow enough, shallow enough, and light enough (even when full) to be handled over the arm of a wheelchair.  I have a neighbor down the street who is in his 90's and has been keeping bees since the 1930's.  He recently switched to all medium deep nucs in order to keep at it.