why 2 brood box?

[kattz]

I'm new to being a beekeeper and was just wondering the reason some people use 2 deep broad box? Is it to store more honey or have more bees? Right now I have one deep brood box but was just wondering if I should add another or go with the shallow honey super?

[Bee-Bop]

Do You mean a medium honey super ?

Used generaly are; Deeps, Mediums or Illinois, and shallows.

I believe shallow is used mostly for cut-comb honey.

Bee-Bop

[randydrivesabus]

its to have more bees and provide storage space for honey and pollen. you need to give the queen a place to put all those eggs.

[KONASDAD]

I am uncertain whether a two deep system is needed for Texas. In the north, you need the stores for winter and brood area for spring expansion.

[kattz]

 I was thinking of using one deep brood box and then just adding shallow honey suppers on top of that. Maybe saving my other deep brood box for another hive, I have some shallow honey supers on back order. In the mean time I still have 2 more supers that I can add while I wait for my order.

[dpence]

I agree, here I use 2 deeps simply to give them enough winter stores.  When they outgrow two, I split them. 

David

[johnnybigfish]

 I use 2 deeps because thats what i saw in the books!
Also, the way i figure it......"Bottom box for bees, top box for breakfast"!
Its a good thing i did this as this spring/summer the bees would have starved if i hadnt left the top box with honey in it .
your friend,
john

[gaucho10]

If you stay with one brood chamber your bees will either swarm in a short time and/or will not have enough food to make it through the winter.  Don't be cheep when it comes to beekeeping.  Either spend the money for your "full" initial equipment or wait until you have the money and purchase what you need.  My thought is that you have to have 2 brood chambers unless you are into NUCs.  I've been keeping bees for 21 years and I don't know of anyone who does without 2 brood chambers here in New England.

[hankdog1]

Nothing wrong with using a single you may want to try both though to see which one works best or you and your area.  Don't beleave everything you read in books while they help nothing is going to compare to the experience your going to get from doing it yourself.  Keep in mind the goal is to get the maxium amount of production for the lowest $$$ keep track of both of them and make your choice on hard numbers.  I use singles with no problem what so ever so it's not a question of can it be done it's more of a question of what is going to work for you. 

[madscientist]

I just started this year with five hives.  My plan was to use one deep based on the advice of other beekeepers in the area.  Last week when doing what a beekeeper does, I discovered that one of the hives had a significant amount of brood in the first super-some frames 75% full of brood.  So, 1.5 stories may be the way to go where I am, or maybe I should think about splitting that hive...