All mediums

[Acebird]

Good pic.  The important thing is how many dead at the bottom.

[FloridaGardener]

I use all mediums.  Soooo much simpler.

    As a brood "box," I just don't want to handle/inspect more than two medium boxes.  20 frames of capped brood at a time - whew! Thirty is too much for me, been there, done that.  After spring, the swarm impulse appears to be manageable at 2 mediums + a slatted rack underneath.

For honey, I use a QX on top the second box and 9 frames instead of 10 in the medium hive body above the QX.

This is a nice arrangement too, since I harvest mostly comb honey.  I have been getting 4 1-lb cuts from each frame. If they are doing well but not capping frames, I'll add a second super.  I use a 1" top entrance  (Imirie shim).  It's hot here in NW FFlorida.

[Rise and Shine]

This has been a good thread for me to read as I will be using 8-frame mediums for 1 hive and 1 8-frame deep with medium 8-frames on the other.  So, I?m glad to read that there are others out there using mediums and 8-frames.  I?m a smallish person and in my mid-sixties, so wanted to keep the size and weight of the boxes down.

[Acebird]

1 8-frame deep with medium 8-frames on the other.

This works but you have the complexity of different size equipment which limits your options as a small operator.  Having one deep box is helpful for buying nuc's which are usually deep frames.

[FloridaGardener]

And it's helpful to be able to bring a MEDIUM frame of brood above the excluder into a MEDIUM box, to encourage the bees to work past the excluder.

Just make sure there's no drones/drone cells on that frame, or else be sure to let any drones out soon. 

PS - RiseAndShine, a plastic excluder appears to cut their wings a bit. A metal excluder has smoother edges and doesn't appear to injure the house bees. 

[Bill Murray]

Update, 2 boxes worked like a champ for installation. I have a short clip of Marley installing will try to post tomorrow. Frames are being drawn out nicely, and queens are laying. This was a good experience for her. She said this is almost just like putting a swarm in a box.

[The15thMember]

Update, 2 boxes worked like a champ for installation. I have a short clip of Marley installing will try to post tomorrow. Frames are being drawn out nicely, and queens are laying. This was a good experience for her. She said this is almost just like putting a swarm in a box.

Hooray!  I'm glad to hear that it worked out well for her.   

[Michael Bush]

>1) Are 2 mediums the same as 1 deep?

2 10-frame deeps = 3 10-frame mediums = 4 8-frame mediums = 2-1/2 8-frame deeps

or, the same thing put another way:

1 10-frame deeps = 1-1/2 10-frame mediums = 2 8-frame mediums = 1-1/4 8-frame deeps

>2) What is the difference in swarming issues.

It's all about adding boxes.  No other differences.  The good think is you can manage the space better because you don't have to add a ten frame deep every time, you ca add a fraction of that.