normals for all mediums

[drjeseuss]

I run all mediums.  I've always read when running mediums, 3 are needed minimum to overwinter in our climate.  I've not given much thought beyond that, until recently.  In past years I've worried moe about splitting to increase, so all have been held back a bit.  This year, I have a strong hive with a young queen.  Last weekend I opened the hive and found that she's been laying in all three boxes!  I'm used to seeing the bottom two w/ brood, three and and above are stores.  I've pulled them down to 3 total in fall, when they've got about 1/2 brood, 2 1/2 stores.  I'm not going to hold her back this year, but curious what's normal.  I'd prefer not to run excluders, but wonder how high she'll lay as I add more room for them.  What's a normal pattern to see in all mediums for spring and summer?

[mikecva]

I run all mediums also. I normally have three for brood, an exclude and 2-3 supers. Most of the time there is 4 inches of honey over the brood area in the top box. Because of this, I take the third super and replace the center frames over the brood with full frames of honey (making 3 mediums for winter). The removed frames go back into brood mediums in the spring. If there is only an inch of brood in the top box, then I get all the supers to use as I need/desire. Hope you can follow this.  -Mike

[Colobee]

With all mediums, the "norm" for me, in the summer, is to have the middle box pretty much full of brood, except for the outside two frames. The upper & lowers will be ~ 6-7 frames of brood, with the lower most maybe 2/3rds of the way down & the upper about 2/3rds "up".

Some years, if I super to a bit too soon, some queens will move up into the first two supers  (my first round stack) and lay a round before the flow finally pushes them (her) back down. These kind often translate to better than average yields.
 
Again this is the "norm" - even with as few as 6-8 hives, there is often a substantial spread since I've never equalized in the spring. I've never had a double make it all the way through spring. They have to go into winter with a heavy three & these are Buckfast - bred to winter small & frugal.

[rookie2531]

I was going to switch over to all mediums, and added 2 mediums on a deep last year. Well, I changed my mind again, and added a deep in between the deep and medium. That is 2 deeps and 2 mediums on a super strong hive. Yesterday, I went in to steal a few frames of honey and found brood at the top. She's laying up 2 deeps and 2 mediums.

[OldMech]

   I have seen a queen lay up three deeps and two medium supers. Depends on the flow and the queen, as well as having enough bees to cover that much brood..

   I overwintered four hives last year in doubles.. It was not my intention to do so, but the flow ended abruptly, without notice, and the summer splits did not build up in time.. I got syrup on them JUST in time to pack them and cap what they had..  I put sugar cakes on the top bars, wrapped them and crossed my fingers..  they did fine. Had to add sugar to them in the latter part of February.. the wind was HOWLING and it was COLD.. I figured I had killed them opening them in weather like that, but to my great surprise.. they pulled through.