Medium vs deep

samsungpizza · January 22, 2013, 06:48:52 PM

I've switched all my hives to 8 frame mediums, but my queen rearing equipment (frames) are all deep. I use queen protectors, and wont have room for two high in a medium.
Will it be OK to put medium frames in a deep cell builder to accommodate my queen rearing frames or should I just cut queen cell frames back to one row of queen cells per frame? Second year at grafting and don't want to blow it. Thank you!

beeman2009 · January 22, 2013, 08:35:38 PM

If I understand you right you think you can only use 1 row of cells on a medium frame. If that's right, you can take a regular medium frame, notch the end bars in the needed spots and run 2 rows of cells. I usually put 12 - 15 cups per bar. That's 24 - 30 possible queens. Not as many as a deep frame will yield, but works fine.

samsungpizza · January 22, 2013, 08:51:26 PM

I figured it out...I think. I can fit two rows of cell cups on medium frames until they are capped, but will have to switch to one row per frame when I add the queen cell protectors. I let the queens hatch in the protectors, and keep them there for a couple days to see which ones are being tended or ignored. Thanks for your reply.

tefer2 · January 22, 2013, 09:27:01 PM

If you are using the cell protectors from Mann Lake, you can only use one roll. If that's your plan you may as well start them one roll too.

samsungpizza · January 22, 2013, 09:38:37 PM

Yep, that's what I use. My cell builder hive is also my finisher, and was just trying to figure how to get the same number of queens in a medium box. I'll just make two cell builders / finishers. No big dilemma. Just didn't want to chop up my deep queen cell frames, but since I only run mediums now, I'll bite the bullet. When I switched to mediums last fall, I never gave my queen rearing equipment a thought. With spring around the corner, I've been seeing what all I have or need, and saw my problem. Thanks again.

tefer2 · January 22, 2013, 09:50:16 PM

One other thing that I was told when using hair roller protectors. After they hatch out, you need to open them and smash the end of the cell. They will crawl back in them and die.

edward · January 22, 2013, 09:57:18 PM

Some times but not always, also shake them or/and carefully peal them out, some times it seems like they are sleeping in them.

mvh edward :-P

samsungpizza · January 22, 2013, 10:29:27 PM

Well my day wasn't wasted...learned something new. I might have tossed sleeping queens last year! Hope not.

tefer2 · January 22, 2013, 10:38:30 PM

Most likely dead though! :-X

Michael Bush · January 23, 2013, 12:12:06 PM

You can mix things up. A medium cell bar frame in a deep works fine. You have to accept that you may get some comb on the bottom... but that's not really an issue.

Jim134 · January 23, 2013, 10:46:22 PM

Quote from: samsungpizza on January 22, 2013, 06:48:52 PM
I've switched all my hives to 8 frame mediums, but my queen rearing equipment (frames) are all deep. I use queen protectors, and wont have room for two high in a medium.
Will it be OK to put medium frames in a deep cell builder to accommodate my queen rearing frames or should I just cut queen cell frames back to one row of queen cells per frame? Second year at grafting and don't want to blow it. Thank you!

samsungpizza.........
How many queens do you rear in a year ???

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

samsungpizza · January 29, 2013, 09:25:16 PM

More than I need, but I plan on supplying a bee association we just started this year. The number of queens raised wasn't an issue, just revamping deep equipment to medium. Thanks.

Jim134 · January 30, 2013, 12:07:00 AM

Quote from: samsungpizza on January 22, 2013, 06:48:52 PM
Second year at grafting

IMHO If you are doing under a 100 queens why not go graft less.

http://youtu.be/qIYz65Vquxg

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

edward · January 30, 2013, 04:39:14 AM

Quote from: Jim 134 on January 30, 2013, 12:07:00 AMIMHO If you are doing under a 100 queens why not go graft less.

Why ?

mvh edward :-P

Jim134 · January 30, 2013, 06:57:45 AM

Quote from: edward on January 30, 2013, 04:39:14 AM
Quote from: Jim 134 on January 30, 2013, 12:07:00 AMIMHO If you are doing under a 100 queens why not go graft less.

Why ?

mvh edward :-P

I can do notching on the spot and can bee do in less then 30 sec.

BEE HAPPY Jim 134

samsungpizza · January 30, 2013, 05:53:17 PM

Nice video. Being 50 and half blind, I'll try it. Rather than taking notes from the video, where can I get some literature to download (about notching) While I'm at it, how can I find out the "swarm season" in my area? I'll have to hit up a couple veteran beekeepers in the area.

Michael Bush · January 31, 2013, 09:45:06 AM

I bought cell bar frames from Brushy Mt. and cut them all down to mediums. Then took the spare parts and made a few more to use them up.

Jim134 · January 31, 2013, 03:23:39 PM

Quote from: samsungpizza on January 30, 2013, 05:53:17 PM
Nice video. Being 50 and half blind, I'll try it. Rather than taking notes from the video, where can I get some literature to download (about notching) While I'm at it, how can I find out the "swarm season" in my area? I'll have to hit up a couple veteran beekeepers in the area.

This is Mel Disselkoen website hope it help you out
http://www.mdasplitter.com/index.php

BEE HAPPYJim 134 :)

samsungpizza · January 31, 2013, 07:34:30 PM

Thanks. I actually found his site and shot him an email. I must have caught him sitting at his computer because he replied immediately. Feel like I know him after watching his video so long. :) I'm looking forward to trying this method out.

beek1951 · May 13, 2013, 12:09:48 AM

If you are using double mediums, just take out the same frame in both and use the deep frame.