Thread: Beekeeping

Originally Posted by Paulbuck

If you've done your homework and for some reason this is the way you want to go then that is great. But, in my opinion, this is a mistake. A fully plugged deep is going to weigh between 60 and 80 lbs. You are going to find yourself having to lift that deep and it is always awkward and you're going hate it. All mediums. 3 medium supers is the same as two deeps (which is what you want for your brood chamber). You will thank me later. They do say; ask 12 beekeepers how to keep bees and you'll get 12 different answers.
Paul

You have a good point. 2 deeps for the brood chamber are the way it is done around here at least 98% of the time. I am going by what others have done before me but am certainly open to different ideas.

Originally Posted by 32t

You have a good point. 2 deeps for the brood chamber are the way it is done around here at least 98% of the time. I am going by what others have done before me but am certainly open to different ideas.

Yep, two deeps is the standard. All my hives are two deep for the brood chamber and then medium supers. When I started I went with the standard. How i wish I knew then what I know now:
--with all medium supers everything is interchangable; you can pop a frame of honey from one hive into the brood chamber of a struggling hive, can't do that with deeps for the brood.
--3 mediums the same as two deeps.
--a fully plugged medium weighs about 35 lbs
--when the queen moves up into the honey supers to lay (she will unless you use a queen excluder) you can move it out of the honey super and put it into the brood chamber (often the outer frames in the brood chamber are honey but not always certainly).
--no messing around with different size frames, foundation (if you go that route, again the norm).
When my brother got into the bees he got the benefit of learning from all my mistakes.

Some great resources to peruse:
--Bush Farms: be prepared to spends countless hours. He proposes some alternative ways of keeping bees. Fascinating stuff.
--Randy Oliver (not sure the website but just search for him). He is more traditional but is on the cutting edge of what is happening in beekeeping. I took a class with him. Good stuff.
--The Backyard Beekeeper by Kim Flottum. Great book. highly recommend it.

Good luck!
Paul