all medium hive

[debshane]

my wife and i are new to beekeeping.we are thinking of setting up all medium hives.we live the very tip of ne North Carolina.does anyone have any pros or cons of this set up. thanks

[JP]

For the hobbyist beekeeper I cannot think of any cons to using all mediums as your set up.

They're lighter than deeps and because all the same you have the ease of interchangeability.

You will need more of them to maximize brood nest, so one caution would be to stack them as low to the ground as possible.

Other than that all mediums is a very good way to go.


...JP

[fish_stix]

The only con I can think of is you have to dig through more boxes to find the queen. If you can be content with finding eggs, so you know there's a queen present, then that con is no longer valid.

[JP]

The only con I can think of is you have to dig through more boxes to find the queen. If you can be content with finding eggs, so you know there's a queen present, then that con is no longer valid.

This is true; however, with mediums being that much shorter than deeps, they're easier to go through when you're trying to find her.


...JP

[kathyp]

if i were starting over, that's the way i'd  go.  humping deeps gets old fast.

[rottybee]

my wife and i are new to beekeeping.we are thinking of setting up all medium hives.we live the very tip of ne North Carolina.does anyone have any pros or cons of this set up. thanks

This will be my first year and I have decided to go all medium's also.  I don't have a very good back anymore and like the fact that they will be lighter and interchangeable.
Good luck

[Livefreeordie]

This is timely, I hadn't even considered this aspect. Everything that I have read so far shows the typical two deep bodies, and supers on top. I also had back surgery several years ago and should be considerate of weight, even though that idea still doesn't work it's way into my brain and I pay for it later sometimes.
So, I was going to go two deeps and one medium to start with, figuring I would probably need more mediums come July if it turned out to be a good year. So I guess my question is, being this far north, ( we do have winter sometimes ) should I replace the two deeps with 3 mediums to use as brood areas and storage, and then add another medium over them when ready with the queen excluder on top of the third medium?

[kathyp]

here i would run 3-4 med over spring/summer and probably 2 over winter.  honey in med is an option, but you can do honey in shallows also if weight is a problem.  use an excluder or not.  that's a choice thing.  most of us don't.  for me, it's just one more thing to mess with.  they have other useses......

[wd]

Could shave off some more weight by using 8 frame mediums.

[kathyp]

could, but maybe not a great idea in the brood boxes.  don't know if it cuts weight in honey supers because they build deeper honey cells.  might make for easier extraction 

[Livefreeordie]

Thanks for the suggestions, I am so glad a friend directed me here, I have been devouring books, but this place is the most helpful of all. I believe I can handle the mediums even full of honey, ( I am getting ahead of myself, I hope they will be full ) I also like the idea of having all 1 standard size equipment, it will make things easier I think.

[Jim 134]

Could shave off some more weight by using 8 frame mediums.

   2-10 frame deeps boxes is 19 1/4" high = 3-10 frame mediums boxes is 19 7/8" high=4-8 frame mediums boxes is 26 1/2" high be for you put on supers. So how high can you reach 

  I decided to go all 3- 10 frame medium's for over wintering in 1986 I live in MA. GlAD I did it AND SO IS MY BACK



   BEE HAPPY Jim 134  
 
.    

[tillie]

The only disadvantage of getting started with medium hive boxes is that many bee providers will deliver only deep nucs.  If you buy packages, there's no issue, but getting a deep nuc means that installing must happen into a deep box.  I did that the first year and then over the winter the bees moved up into the medium boxes above the bottom box.  In the spring, I took the deep off and put on a medium and have gone that way ever since.

I do think if you own a medium nuc box you could provide it to the person from whom you are getting a nuc and they could supply it that way.  I now own two medium nucs (each with two medium nuc boxes) that have served many purposes for me in the last couple of years.

Linda T in Atlanta

[Finski]

.
In Finland many semiprofessional beekeepers keep only medium boxes. The advantage merely is that they are light to handle.

[alfred]

Another advantage is the interchangability of the frames. All mediums means that you can move any frame anywhere in the hive.

[Finski]

Another advantage is the interchangability of the frames. All mediums means that you can move any frame anywhere in the hive.

That is not real problem in Langstroth - medium system either.

But langstroth box full of honey and on the top of 6-box tower, not nice to handle.

[wd]

I see that Dadant now has a line of eight frame items on their webiste

[David LaFerney]

I started last year with all 8 frame mediums, and I think if I were starting over I would still use all mediums, but I would use 10 frame boxes -

10 frame boxes would make a shorter stack.

The stack would also have a broader base, and be less likely to tip over.

It would save a bit on hive bodies.

It would be more compatible with "standard" equipment, and more salable if you ever wanted out - also more compatible if you found a good deal on some used equipment.

Boxes of honey would be 25% heavier though so that would be something to consider.

[debshane]

thanks for all the info.we will be installing package bees.when installing package, would we set up two mediums with frames?let them draw them out in comb and then install a third medium to make brood and food supply. or would two mediums be enough brood and food supply. we live in north east NC.mild winters,maybe two to three weeks with temps below freezing at night.thanks again for all your info.

[annette]

I started with deeps and transitioned to mediums. I am happy to be able to pull frames from where ever I want.  I even find the mediums heavy when they are full of honey.

I overwinter with 3 mediums each.