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Author Topic: Deep, Medium, and Shallow  (Read 1404 times)

Offline mherndon

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Deep, Medium, and Shallow
« on: February 06, 2009, 10:20:20 pm »
I bought a nuc last Spring '08.  I started them in a deep box and then put a medium on when they were near full in the deep.  By the end of Summer both boxes were full of bees.  I put on a shallow super to give them more room for stores for the Winter.  Going into November the medium box and shallow box were near full of stores.  I checked on them today and the cluster was primarily in the medium box.  I wish I had put a medium box on instead of the shallow, but can't go back now.  I would like to have a deep and two mediums for the brood area.  If I put the medium on the bottom and another medium with just foundation on that would I need to hold the deep to go on top until the medium is drawn out with comb?  I think I have them in good shape to really boom this Spring now that I have drawn comb to start with.  I just wasn't sure if they would jump or bypass the middle medium with just foundation and go to the deep with drawn comb on top.

Another question:  What would be the optimum number of medium frames, with brood and bees, to do a walk away split.

Mark
Starting my 3rd year and still having a ball!

Offline iddee

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Re: Deep, Medium, and Shallow
« Reply #1 on: February 06, 2009, 10:32:32 pm »
When the honey flow starts, they will fill from the top down. If you want them to draw comb, put that box on top.
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Deep, Medium, and Shallow
« Reply #2 on: February 06, 2009, 11:14:34 pm »
Quote
Another question:  What would be the optimum number of medium frames, with brood and bees, to do a walk away split.



what kind of split do you want to do?  If you have one hive and are splitting it a walk away split is pretty much taking 1 or the 2 brood boxes and placing it on another stand.  The box without the queen will make their own.
In a normal split you're moving about 1/3 the frames and bees into another hive body.  Another way is to rob 1 or 2 frames from each of several hives and creating a combined split.  This leaves the original hives much stronger while still increasing your hive numbers.
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Offline mherndon

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Re: Deep, Medium, and Shallow
« Reply #3 on: February 07, 2009, 08:32:57 am »
I'll probably try to find the old queen and move 3-4 frames of bees and brood to another box.  The old queen hive will be relocated to simulate a swarm. 

Mark
Starting my 3rd year and still having a ball!

 

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