How to I get rid of deep brood boxes?

[rufus]

This is my first year as a beek and for some reason I bought four deep brood boxes and I really hate them!  I want to switch to all mediums for all the reasons I heard posted here but I am at a loss as to how it's done.  Could I split my two hives into four and add new meduims in the spring eventually eliminating the deeps?  Or is there a better way?

[David McLeod]

Depending on your location you could split now if you still have drones and a good fall flow. If not split early as you can in the spring and under super your mediums so that ideally by end of season next you have the queen and brood down below in the bottom most mediums and your deep sitting up top full of capped honey.

[Michael Bush]

If you get some stores in some mediums on the hive going into winter, odds are in the spring they will be in the top box.  You can pull any empty frames easily.  You can put an excluder between the brood in the mediums and any brood in the deeps and pull the deeps when the brood has emerged.  You can do a cutout and put all the brood from the deeps in mediums.

[T Beek]

Good advise here, but don't get rid of the Deeps. 

I use one for catching/capturing swarms, another as a honey or brood transfer box and another as a funnel when placing package bees or swarms. 

They also make great feed/vent boxes because of their size (You can get a lot of feed in a Deep). 

I don't house bees in Deeps anymore (just mediums) but they remain a necessary tool at my bee yard.

thomas

[rufus]

@ Dave
I think its too late here in North East Ohio to try a split now.  It was 55 last night but I am just trying to firm up my plans at eliminating the deeps.  I understand the usefullness of the boxes themselves and will keep a hold of them, but I like to idea of being able to swap anything and everything around if I need to.  Thanks guys for your help!

[Bigtwin]

So, if you are just starting out and you want to go all mediums, it's nearly impossible to buy medium nucs of bees isn't it?  The only nucs I've seen for sale are deeps. I'd rather go with nucs vs 3 lb packages.