Author Topic: Mediums  (Read 21642 times)

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Offline Perry

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Re: Mediums
« Reply #20 on: January 09, 2014, 06:16:03 am »
riv- Duh.. why didn't I think of that... snark

Okay so, a deep for brood, and a medium for winter stores?

Or a deep for brood, and a another deep for winter store?

then additional stacked mediums for honey For Me?


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Offline Moots

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Re: Mediums
« Reply #21 on: January 09, 2014, 06:48:41 am »
riv- Duh.. why didn't I think of that... snark

Okay so, a deep for brood, and a medium for winter stores?

Or a deep for brood, and a another deep for winter store?

then additional stacked mediums for honey For Me?

OR....

All 8 frame mediums for everything.  This will lower the weight of your honey Supers down to a more manageable weight of probably 50 pounds. It'll also give you a standard frame size' allowing you to freely move frames between brood boxes and honey supers, and vice versa, without problem.

That's the beauty and confusion of beekeeping...lots and lots of options, and opinions as far as which of those options are best.  :laugh:

Most all of them have pluses and minuses, just have to figure out which will work best for you and your situation.   :)

Offline mamapoppybee

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Re: Mediums
« Reply #22 on: January 09, 2014, 07:58:11 am »
sorry jaybird if i some how confused you. Im only using deeps and meds for our hive as these are 8 frames they will be lighter.

Offline Slowmodem

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Re: Mediums
« Reply #23 on: January 09, 2014, 08:57:27 am »
Some people like to swap or reverse their boxes in the spring, so the bees in the top are then on the bottom and work up.  If you have a deep and a medium coming out of winter, you can still swap, but it won't be as easy as it would if you had two deeps or two mediums.
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Mediums
« Reply #24 on: January 09, 2014, 09:23:30 am »
Havent said much on the subject so far, just been watching and reading..
   With only a couple of hives, I would say that you can use which ever combination you think would work well. You wont ever be flooded with hundreds of supers stacked in the shed, extra boxes here and there and other equipment all over the place, so your choice is a little bit more "free".
 
   I use ALL medium ten frame equipment. Moots uses all medium eight frame equipment..  I am going to have to go with MOOTS on this one..   Standardize, and use the eight frame boxes. You will be able to throw those about for years to come. The OPTIONS using standardized boxes is really nice.
   Three mediums = two deeps in height. It means an extra box, but that extra box is much easier to MOVE by yourself..   Now I realize that.. your... what? twenty five???  Judging by the picture???   But in 25 more years you'll be 50, if you still have those hives your BACK will thank you for going with the lighter boxes.

   When you harvest your honey. Always take a few frames of honey and pop it into your freezer instead of extracting. Mark these frames so you know which ones they are. In the fall as you get ready for winter you can thaw them, and drop them into your hives in the event Mother Nature didnt give you a decent fall flow. Mark them so you can replace them in spring before treatments to keep your honey/wax clean when you treat. (IF)
   One size frame, one size box for all your hives...
     Now...  spring has sprung, you look out your window, cup of coffee in your hand, and SEE BEES everywhere!!!  One of your hives is swarming!!!  OMG!!!!  Now what???
   Well, the easiest answer is to grab one of last years honey supers, set it on a board and shake the swarm into it. Put another board on top, prop one end of the box up slightly to make an entrance. Scrap pieces of lumber placed around the edges can reduce the entrance until you can get a bottom board and inner/tele cover.
  You have another hive..

   If you dont want more hives, it can be given to the neighbors son, or daughter, or even SOLD very easily.

   I'm sure you know that every method has advantages and disadvantages that can be argued constantly.  I like my boxes all being the same.. I do still have a couple hives with deeps on them, and its something I have to force myself to remember when taking frames to have drawn. Its caused me to make more than one trip on more than one occasion.

   SlowModem has a good point too..  with three mediums, it allows me to pull the bottom box, set the two boxes on the bottom board, cut the wax out of the top box and put it back on top for the ladies to draw with new clean wax. Not exactly reversing since you left them with two boxes, but it puts your wax on a three year schedule and helps keep it new and clean/clear of pesticides/treatment contamination..  even if you dont treat, the ladies will bring home some bad stuff on occasion.

   You wont go wrong whatever you choose to use. Just think about YOU and what will be advantageous for YOU!
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Offline Crofter

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Re: Mediums
« Reply #25 on: January 09, 2014, 10:26:44 am »
Some good thinking in there Lazybkpr;   I am getting close to the crunch on being able to handle 10 frame deeps or even mediums. In hindsight I would go with 8 frame mediums for everything.

I hear what Perry is saying about some people using all one size frames as a convenient way of neglecting to segregate treated frames from honey croppers. In my case I don't expect be using any of the bioaccumulating synthetic pesticides so that is not an imposing issue.
Frank

Offline Jen

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Re: Mediums
« Reply #26 on: January 09, 2014, 12:36:18 pm »
Good read here. But I'm gonna have to get my breakfast and a cup of jo in front of me to read Lazy's novel. BRB
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Online iddee

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Re: Mediums
« Reply #27 on: January 09, 2014, 12:50:40 pm »
Someone PLEASE explain why a deep full of honey is looked at as a 95 lb. weight. I see it as 10 9 lb. weights and a 5 lb. box. If you have 4 full supers to harvest, you don't lift the 4 boxes and walk away. Why would you break your back lifting 10 full deep frames of honey all at once? I just do not understand.
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Mediums
« Reply #28 on: January 09, 2014, 01:05:25 pm »

   I only know, being the lazy fellow I am, grabbing the medium and setting it on the truck is quicker..   If you have two or three hives its no problem pulling frames and dropping them into an empty box, but when your pulling 20 boxes the amount of time adds up compared to just pulling the supers at the end of the flow.   Make sense????   no... not to me either....
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Offline Jen

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Re: Mediums
« Reply #29 on: January 09, 2014, 01:23:14 pm »
We're talking about it just to annoy you Iddee, you're so cute when your annoyed  :laugh:
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Online iddee

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Re: Mediums
« Reply #30 on: January 09, 2014, 01:44:45 pm »
So, lazy, if you have 2 mediums full of honey, 120 lbs., you carry them both to the truck because it is quicker?
But you don't want to carry 1 deep full because it is too heavy. Please explain to this dumb hillbilly. He's just not quite catching it.
“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
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Offline Slowmodem

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Re: Mediums
« Reply #31 on: January 09, 2014, 02:09:35 pm »
So, lazy, if you have 2 mediums full of honey, 120 lbs., you carry them both to the truck because it is quicker?
But you don't want to carry 1 deep full because it is too heavy. Please explain to this dumb hillbilly. He's just not quite catching it.

He's too lazy to make two trips!   :laugh:
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Mediums
« Reply #32 on: January 09, 2014, 02:46:02 pm »
LOL, nope, I pick them up, set them on the cart, the 4 wheeler or the tailgate, whichever is closest. put hive together, go to next, set the super on the cart, wheeler etc...
  btw..   in my last post,  the statement I made,   "no... not to me either.... " was meant to be serious not sarcastic!!!

   Removing the frames, shaking them off, and setting them into another box IS easier on the back! No debate there...       I have all my hives where I can get to them easily. I dont have to carry a super more than a few steps in any circumstance, so  pulling them frame by frame, is lighter, but not as fast.  I can still carry deeps, just isnt all that fun in a bee suit when its hot. Carrying the mediums is a wee bit less not so fun. Carrying Medium 8 frame supers would be even MORE less not so fun...    but, you also have to use escapes, bee go or the equivalent to get those supers free of bees, or your doing them one frame at a time to shake the bees off anyhow...   So, if you take six of these, and trade them for half a dozen of those, you still get the same amount when your done!!!      ???
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Online iddee

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Re: Mediums
« Reply #33 on: January 09, 2014, 02:53:47 pm »
I still don't see how getting the bees off 20 frames and moving 20 frames to the truck is quicker or easier than doing the same with 10 frames. I think someone is living the placebo effect.
“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
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Offline Jen

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Re: Mediums
« Reply #34 on: January 09, 2014, 03:20:03 pm »
Lzy- re: Reply #24

Good advice, and understandable. Printed it off for my files.

And, if you think I'm 25.. well, you just go on thinkin that!  ;) ;) ;)
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Offline Moots

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Re: Mediums
« Reply #35 on: January 09, 2014, 03:23:55 pm »
I still don't see how getting the bees off 20 frames and moving 20 frames to the truck is quicker or easier than doing the same with 10 frames. I think someone is living the placebo effect.

iddee,
LOL!  I know from past discussions that we see this issue differently....and there's nothing wrong with that!  :)

That's why they make Chocolate, Vanilla, and Strawberry Ice Cream....and why everybody doesn't drive the same vehicle. 

As they say, variety is the spice of life!  ;D

Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Mediums
« Reply #36 on: January 09, 2014, 04:00:11 pm »
I still don't see how getting the bees off 20 frames and moving 20 frames to the truck is quicker or easier than doing the same with 10 frames. I think someone is living the placebo effect.


   Maybe I am misunderstanding?    In fifteen years, I probably wont be lifting 100 lb supers, but handling a 60 lb super I hope to be able to do. I can carry two 60 - 65 lb supers four steps. Probably cant do that with 1 100 lb super.
   OR, Pulling one deep frame, carrying it the four steps to the truck, put it in the empty box, walking back, getting the next frame, walking to the truck, rinse, repeat? Ten trips to the truck as opposed to two 65 LB trips? One way or another your going to have to lift that 100 LB super... 
   Put all the frames into another box, it still has to get to the truck, or off the cart into the truck, unless your going to move the frames several different times?
    Not trying to be a pain, but I am fairly good at it according to my wife..    Please explain Iddee?  Certainly interested if theres an easier way!

   Placebo effect....?
Had to look that up...
   The placebo effect happens when you decide a therapy will make you better and your belief makes it so.
  Ahhhh!    Hey!!   I'm in!    ;D
   
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Offline Jen

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Re: Mediums
« Reply #37 on: January 09, 2014, 04:24:30 pm »
Good Lord Amighty! ~ Remind me to only have two hives! Three max
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Mediums
« Reply #38 on: January 09, 2014, 04:25:58 pm »
LOL
  Can let it go, just a bit confused..    :-[
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Offline Perry

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Re: Mediums
« Reply #39 on: January 09, 2014, 04:38:12 pm »
LOL
  Can let it go, just a bit confused..    :-[

Here, I'll move over. By the way, welcome to my world.  :D
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