Hive sizes

[Marty68]

What should be the max boxes I should have on a hive for them to make it thru winter but being built up at the same time. Ty marty

[Perry]

Vancouver, Washington is not dissimilar to Vancouver, Canada weather (I lived there). Two deeps is plenty, 1 for your brood and cluster, and 1 full of winter stores.

[iddee]

Perry gave you the minimum.You asked for the max. The max is to the top of your tallest step ladder, unless you have scaffolding. That is, if you can get them built up that far.

[Marty68]

Ok perry would that just be for wintering. What is ideal for spring and to stop a swarm from happening

[Marty68]

Iddee is that a good thing to have them that high. Are they able to maintain that year round or in winter time split them up into smaller hives

[Perry]

For your area Marty, two deeps for brood should suffice, and as far as honey production, again in your area I would probably have 3 honey supers ready.

[Marty68]

Supers or mediums.

[Perry]

Mediums are what I would use.
The word "supers" usually refers to whatever you are using to collect honey. (At least that is how I think of things) 
You can have a deep super, medium super or even shallow supers, it all depends on your preference.
Brood is usually referred to as being raised in "chambers". (Just my take)

[iddee]

I don't think stacking them that high is good, but some beeks do it, so it is possible. I use one deep and one medium for honey collecting hives, and two deeps for bee raising hives. Then I add the honey supers to the honey collecting hives, and rob each when full, so never more than 2 or 3 on the hive at any one time. Some beeks rob once per season, so stack how ever many are needed to get through the flow.

[Marty68]

Ty all for the insights on this topic. Learned some new stuff. Gonna give it a try

[apisbees]

A queen will max out her laying at about 13 to 16 deep frames and by the time you get pollen and honey in the outside frames 2 deep supers will provide all the space the queen needs for brood rearing. By keeping bees in a deep and medium as Iddee does the bees are forced up into the honey supers sooner as the hive population grows and will start putting honey in the honey supers sooner. You have to watch that they don't start plugging the brood chambers to early when the space should be used for brood, not storing nectar.

[riverbee]

marty, like perry said 2 deeps for you, you should be good to go.  i use 2 deeps, and then in the spring/summer, i stack the medium honey supers as they are needed, and leave them on until i harvest.  i only harvest once a season.  with the exception of comb honey frames, those come out as soon as they are capped.  also, have extra supers on hand, it doesn't hurt. so perry recommended 3, have 5 on hand.

if you think your bees need more going into winter, leave a super on for them.  hope this helps!