# One hive body deep, or two



## LET (May 24, 2005)

I'm sure the question is somewhat dependent on what part of the country you're from. I've got pretty much the same question. I've planned on two deeps for my hives, with supers above for me. I've seen some local hives that use one deep and one medium for the hive. I would also appreciate inputs from those with more experience. I'm long on book learning, but short on experience.


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## Ron Young (Aug 16, 2006)

I have asked this question several times to many beekeepers. It really is a preference to each individual in NC. I know many beekeepers in the mountains that use 1 1/2 stories. I asked about two deeps and they all told me it made it too hard to find a queen when you had 20 deep frames to go through. My mentor's answer to that, is put a queen excluder on four days and then go in and look for eggs. The queen will be in the box with eggs. I also asked about the added space for stores in a deep rather than a medius super on top of a deep. The one beekeeper I asked, lost one hive this winter due to starvation. He said that it was one of his most productive hives last year. 

I chose to go with two deeps. I like the ability to pull frames up, or move frames down as needed to expand the brood nest. Splitting is made much easier as well. However, if you choose to standardize and use all the same, be it mediums x 3 for brood, or all deeps, this is not an issue. But for me, just having two deeps as the brood area, and winter store's area, seems ok for my personality. 

What ever you desire, just go with it.


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## livetrappingbymatt (Jan 13, 2006)

how do other beeks in your area keep there's?
in my area of ny most use 2 deeps,but some will use 1 & a med.
so what ever your comfortable with.
bob


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## MountainCamp (Apr 12, 2002)

What you use for your "base" hive is dependant on several factors such as mobility, brood rearing, and wintering.

In NC you many not need the second deep for winter stores. However, you may want it to allow for the queen to rear more brood and limit the intrusion into the honey supers with laying. 

Crowding the queen and brood chamber can lead to more swarming. More swarming can lead to reduced honey production.

It is all about what you feel comfortable with and can manage.


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## Lively Bee's (Dec 9, 2004)

I run 2 deeps on all of my hives here in Tennessee I have a lot of freinds that run 1 1/2. Now I do have some hives that are 3 and 4 deep but I use these hives for splits I take a 4 deep brood hive and split it in to 4 single 10 frame hives and add 3 new queens.


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## iddee (Jun 21, 2005)

Before the mites came to NC, one deep or one deep and one super was plenty. Now it is almost a total necessity to run two deeps to give the weakened bees a fighting chance. Then comes the advantages of mixing frames, splitting hives, ETC. as mentioned above. I highly recommend two deeps or three mediums for the brood chamber in NC.


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## Jeffzhear (Dec 2, 2006)

I use one deep, one medium for the most part along the NY/PA border and have no problems. I do have a few doubles and as a result of loss this winter, I have a few that are four deep! Course that came out of a suggestion here on the forum. Let the bees do the work and clean up the deadout hives and maintain them...


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## beemarsh (Oct 24, 2006)

I'm very new, but I have figured that there always is the two mediums option: larger than one deep, so plenty of brood and store space for North Carolina, and gives two boxes to work from.


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## BeeAware (Mar 24, 2007)

I keep two deeps on the colonies from which I want extracted honey. For comb honey (sections), I crowd the bees into one deep and then super it right away. I like to have lots of stores in the two deep colonies, not only during winter, but in spring as well. Lots of honey in early spring means lots of bees when the flow arrives. Plus I rarely have to feed.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

How about three or four?

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesulbn.htm


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## iddee (Jun 21, 2005)

>>>>I use one deep, one medium for the most part along the NY/PA border and have no problems.<<<< 
>>>> I do have a few doubles and as a result of loss this winter,<<<<

Sort of an oxy-moron, isn't it? The reason I run two deeps is so I don't have winter losses.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

I usually run one deep with honey supers above it. I will add a second deep early in the season on those hives that are really booming in early spring. If you keep the broodnest clear you can manage swarming pretty well with one deep. I seem to find that the one deep hives almost always get honey in the supers before the 2 deep hives, so if you want some of the really early honey then try a one deep configuration. I've also found that one deep hives compensate by putting brood in more of the frames, as opposed to 3-4 frames of honey per box in a two deep hive. Overall, I'm pleased with the one deep setup, but at times the two deeps give you some extra flexibility that can really be helpful.


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