Medium 8-Frame Hives

[martybhawk]

I am using (3) 8-Frame Medium boxes for my hives.  A fellow beekeeper told me 3 is too many and I should only use 2.  I am in Central Alabama.

If 2 is all I need, can I just remove one box and place it with another medium box and try to start another hive?     

[Acebird]

Is this a package, overwintering configuration or just something you plan on doing?  I would not start a package in three mediums.  You could start it in two but limit the frames to 8 or 10.  Three mediums would be a good established hive but you would have a hard time keeping it at only three unless you like to see half of them in the trees.

[BeeMaster2]

What Ace said. you do not want to give the bees too much space to try to protect. Are the frames foundation less, foundation, drawn frames or full of honey. You want the frames covered with bees on the drawn frames. Foundation and foundation less frames do not need very many bees to protect them but you do not want a box of foundation on top of a single box that is less than 75% full.
On the other hand, if the hive is packed tight with 3 boxes at this time of year where you are then you will need to add a box. I just added a super to 4 of 5 hives in my back yard. In just 2 weeks they doubled their weight.
Jim

[GSF]

Hey Marty, I'm in Elmore county. I do pretty much what Jim describe, big families need big homes, small families need small homes.
If you need some help just holler. If you need some hands on, come on over. I have 20 hives. I need to go in about half of them in the next week or so.

[Michael Bush]

If you use all eight frame mediums and no excluder then you can add boxes as they need them and not worry about it until fall when you need to decide what to leave them for winter...