Use of medium frames in deep bodies.

[Ray Bayless]

As I understand it ypu can stagger deep and medium frame in a deep body so that the colony can increase drone production for queen rearing purposes.  Is this true or will this make a mess with criscrossed burr conb?

[BjornBee]

No, it does not make a mess.

http://www.bjornapiaries.com/combinformation.html

scan down to the part on foundationless comb.

[lazy shooter]

I did this once.  It was a disaster.  The bees built comb on the bottom of the medium frame.  I had a hive of bees that did not want to move from their 10 frame deep box up into a 10 frame medium box.  It was my thought that I could remove a deep frame and replace it with a medium frame.  I did this and the bees immediately built comb on the medium frame and on the bottom of the medium frame.  This happened when I had only had my bees for a few  months.  The bees will use all of the space in the brood chamber.

[Joe D]

I had that happen once also Lazy.





Joe

[sawdstmakr]

I have medium frames in my deep boxes right now. I eventually want to switch to all mediums. Most of the time, the bees build drone comb below the frame and it can easily cut off and then move the frame into the medium box. If it is worker brood when I move them, I can cut it off and put it in a medium frame.
Jim

[Ray Bayless]

I have medium frames in my deep boxes right now. I eventually want to switch to all mediums. Most of the time, the bees build drone comb below the frame and it can easily cut off and then move the frame into the medium box. If it is worker brood when I move them, I can cut it off and put it in a medium frame.
Jim

Yeah Jim that's where I'm going with this. I plan to turn my deep boxes int multiple chamber mating nucs. Gonna use yje old deep frames for traps per Bailey's suggestion.

[T Beek]

I got 2 DEEP six frame NUCs last year.  Since I only use 'foundationless mediums' I just fabricated a box/false bottom inside 2 medium supers, placing the deeps in the middle above the box/false bottom with mediums all around.  It worked very well.  In no time I was replacing those deeps w/ mediums.

Bees will fill the voids that beeks provide them.  

Don't give them the opportunity.  Any empty space under the bottom frames will soon be hanging w/ comb and is a mess to correct w/ cutting out comb and placing in a frame.  Why bother?

I use all my old deeps for vent/feed boxes, swarm catchers and honey storage.

[Michael Bush]

>As I understand it ypu can stagger deep and medium frame in a deep body so that the colony can increase drone production for queen rearing purposes.  Is this true or will this make a mess with criscrossed burr conb?

You can just put an empty frame between two drawn ones and get a lot of drones as well, but yes it works most all the time.  Once in a while they will crosscomb when you do this, but usually they just continue the comb on down, ESPECIALLY if the combs on each side are drawn and full of brood.  It's more iffy if you do this between frames of foundation.

[Ray Bayless]

Thanks everyone for the answers and overlooking the typos I use my Android phone quite a bit.