New Hives? Medium Vs Deep advise please

[Salmo]

Good day everyone,

I've been researching and picking peoples bee brains for a few months now, in preparation for setting up hives this year(first timer).  I'm about to start building the boxes, but I am a little torn between a mixture of deep and mediums Vs all medium boxes, which about 50% of keepers (that I spoke with) recommend.    I was settled on a mixture of deep and mediums, but when I started sourcing lumber, I was having a hard time finding lumber wide enough without warping or free of enough knots to make it worth while.  The lumber available for medium boxes is much better and more readily available.  I tried some local lumber yards already for the deep boxes, but most don't have anything suitable at this time.

To the question, would there be anything wrong or regrettable that I could not recover from if I went with only mediums for the entire hive,  brood and honey?


Thanks Randall

[Perry]

More money and perhaps more time.
1 = More money in that you will need 3 mediums to take the place of 2 deeps in regards to brood chambers. That means an additional 10 frames with foundation.
2 - Time wise, you could possibly have to go through 30 frames instead of 20 when looking for the queen (usually not necessary), and each manipulation has its risk.
Levy's mill in Gaspereau (Wolfville) sells 9 3/4" x 7/8" pine for 54 cents a foot.

[Salmo]

Thanks Perry, as per your suggestion I spoke with them last week, it does didn't sound like they had much lumber ready, but I've not given up on them.   Your points are well taken regarding the benefits to box size, so i will continue to check with the lumber yards.

Thanks for your advise, Randall

[Perry]

How many feet are you looking for?

[Salmo]

Hey Perry,

Rough math, would be about 70' for the deeps and another 70 ' for the mediums, thinking I would start with 10 med and 10 deeps.



Randall

[Perry]

Next time I'm near the mill I'll stop in and see Garth and see if there is something kicking around.
Your mediums would be a little cheaper as you don't need the full 9 3/4", but that said, keep it simple, get 9 3/4", you can always use the off cuts  (almost 3", for shims and outer covers, etc.).

[Bakersdozen]

More money and perhaps more time.
1 = More money in that you will need 3 mediums to take the place of 2 deeps in regards to brood chambers. That means an additional 10 frames with foundation.
2 - Time wise, you could possibly have to go through 30 frames instead of 20 when looking for the queen (usually not necessary), and each manipulation has its risk.
Levy's mill in Gaspereau (Wolfville) sells 9 3/4" x 7/8" pine for 54 cents a foot.

What Perry said. 
My 2 cents worth:
What ever you decide, I would be consistent so that "on the fly" you can grab a frame(s) and know they will fit in the box that you are working in.  I hope that made sense.  Nothing worse than needing a shallow frame and all you have available is deep frames.
Honey supers are a different topic.  I assume we are discussing brood boxes.

[Countryboyky]

So I am new with no bees yet til spring. I was going with all 8 frame mediums so I wouldnt need 20 of this,  and 30 of that, and this won't fit in this. Am I wrong for thinking this way?

[CBT]

Easy way to say it is different strokes for different folks. I may want to use 10 frame deep equipment for every thing but know it will get old quick throwing around 90-100 pound boxes. So I may use quote standard boxes for weight. Deep for brood, Med for honey. And depending your current and future abilities there are choices of all Med or Shallow or 8 frame or 5 frame nuc. There is a box for everybody. Enjoy

[Perry]

CBT is on the right track. I run deeps for brood chambers, but I no longer move hives for pollination so it is rare that I have to lift and move deep boxes. For the most part those boxes are not full of honey anyways, they are brood boxes.
I run all mediums for honey for a couple of reasons, and one of them is weight. I can still manage a medium full of honey, but I actually hurt my back this year trying to carry a full deep full of honey, something I almost never have to do.

[Salmo]

Thanks Perry,

I'm down your way every Friday night at AVSSC, so if Garth can get that material together, it's an easy stop for me.


Randall

[LazyBkpr]

   Nothing is etched in stone. Perhaps the frame sizes... Deeps can be cut down to mediums. Even the frames can be cut down if you have the time and ability. I have done a lot of them.

   Price for Deep vs Medium is really only a factor if you are going to have more than five or six hives. After that it starts to add up...
   The medium box will be easier to get wood for and cheaper, but you need ten more frames. While a medium frame is cheaper than a deep frame, you will need thirty instead of twenty.
   I run all mediums, even though I am pushing close to 100 hives now just because I am getting older, and as stated, because i like the interchangeability. I can pull frames from supers and drop them in hives to help them be ready for winter. I can also use extracted honey frames in the brood chambers to start new hives and give the bees a head start. I can out anything anywhere I need it. i do not have to worry if I am adding supers and realize i need to replace a deep.  To me, it is just about convenience.
  If you run tenish hives, will the extra hundred dollars for the frames be an issue?

   If your running mediums and decide to move to deeps, you pull a medium and replace it with the deep, and as it is drawn out you move it down and add another deep. By the end of the year you should be able to pull the last medium. It works the same the other way around. If they are using it, leave it on till spring and then pull it when it is empty. No emergency and no rush.. thats part of the joy in beekeeping. Unless you have a swarm issuing from one of your hives, you can move slowly and enjoy what your doing.
   The swarm? Well, at least for me thats a lights and siren emergency!
  I have needed a deep and only had a medium, so glued and nailed a shim to the bottom of a medium to MAKE it a deep, and I have cut down a lot of deeps into mediums...
   There is no right answer to give you, the right answer is what YOU think you want to go with, all the rest of us can do on this issue is tell you what we do and why. The rest is in your capable hands!
   Scott

[Salmo]

Hey Perry,

I just spoke with Garth, he will not have dried lumber until May, how will this align with your bees being ready for pickup? 



Randall

Thanks Perry,

I'm down your way every Friday night at AVSSC, so if Garth can get that material together, it's an easy stop for me.


Randall

[Perry]

I spoke to Garth yesterday and you're right, not a stick to be had.
It won't affect when my bees will be ready, I am not buying imported queens anymore, too much hit and miss. I will be waiting until local queens are available in June before most of my nucs move. The nucs that I am overwintering will be allowed to build up to 6 solid frame of bees and then 4 frames + queen will be removed and sold and queen cells will be dropped right in to start the process over. I have no idea how successful this will all be as I've not done it on any scale before. It could end up being a disaster, only time will tell.