Someone lied to me!!

[Understudy]

Okay I did an inspection this weekend.
Hive 2 is kicking along in an awesome manner. As a matter of fact the permacomb I put in a while back is now 10 frames of honey.  Now I realize that a deep frame fully loaded is 90+ pounds, however this medium is way over 35 pounds.

You can see my suffering here:


10 frames of that is really heavy. I get the impression I am not going to get a lot of sympathy here am I?

Sincerely,
Brendhan

[TwT]

a medium should be between 60-75 lbs.. they heavy, thats what I use is mediums and a full one is suprising....

[Hi-Tech]

A guy here only uses 8 frames in his med super and he says it makes them heavier... Does this sound right?

[Brian D. Bray]

We're not getting any younger and a deep 10 frame is for the young.  A Deep 12 frame is for the addelpated (I know I had 2 once).  An 8 frame medium can be handled by just about anyone, being thinner and slimmer than standard.  40-45 lbs full.  
That's all I use anymore, I can pickthem up empty and set them on my lap and slide from the hive onto my lap.  Deeps are just too much to handle from a wheelchair.

[Michael Bush]

However many frames you put in a honey super they end up weighing about the same.  A 10 frame medium (with eight or nine or ten frames in it) weighs about 60 pounds.  An full 8 frame medium (with eight or seven or six frames in it) weighs about 48 pounds.

I run all eight frame mediums except for the long hives.

I do shave the end bars down and put nine brood frames in the eight frame mediums though.  :)

[Zoot]

Michael

Regarding Hi-tech's inquiry about the weight of 8 frame mediums: the gentleman who sold me on the idea of using them universally insisted that in his experience the bees tended to fill the frames fuller and more consistantly. Thus the tendancy for them to sometimes be heavier than the average. I'm curious as to whether your own experiences have ever reflected this.

[Michael Bush]

If you put nine frames in a ten frame box they make the combs thicker.  If you put eight in they make them even thicker.  In theory you have eliminated the space the size of a frame by about 1/2" think in the process.  I suppose that weighs a little, but not a significant amount more.  I put seven or six in an eight frame box for the supers.  Same thing.  A full box is a full box, it weighs about the same as one with eight frames in it.  But it's  MUCH easier to uncap with the thicker combs.

[Finsky]

If you put nine frames in a ten frame box they make the combs thicker.

I have tryed but it makes things very difficult.


When you give foundations to hive, it must be 10 frames in 10 frame box. If you put 9, bees will make burr between frames.
.

[TwT]

foundation should be 10 frames until they get them drawn out, then 9 drawn frames work fine for me, I save my drawn frames after extracting and can start with 9 drawn out frames when the flow starts... good point finsky, 9 frames of foundation in a 10 frame box will be drawn out ugly... you will need drawn out frames before you can put nine in a super..... I think this was meant but it wasn't clarified....  

[Brian D. Bray]

In regards to Zoots remark, The 8 frames look fuller of bees because of the increased density but the size is immaterial for beekeeping, whether 8, 10, or 12 they are approached in the same way.  
TwT's remark about drawing out in 10 frame is a good insight as too many start with 9 and then get exasperated with the out come not being what it was reputed to be.  Control of the hive is an inportant factor and using the right number of frames in the super--to start with--is the best way to do it.  Once the comb is fully drawn out then reduce to 9 or even 8, but the more space the bees have the more likely they will be to make burr comb.

[Michael Bush]

>When you give foundations to hive, it must be 10 frames in 10 frame box. If you put 9, bees will make burr between frames.

Exactly.