# Medium on top of Deep Brood Chamber



## mc1960 (Jul 28, 2014)

Since it seems that everyone around me is just selling Deep nucs, and I am considering using Medium equipment, would using a deep super on bottom and then start using a mediums on top of that for everything else be the best option? In my mind I am thinking, making splits with mediums from that point on as things grow. Am I thinking correctly or not?


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## drlonzo (Apr 15, 2014)

If all that is available is deep NUC's locally, about your olny choice in the matter is either to ask your supplier to setup your NUC's using mediums, if you have to give him the hardware to do so, Or as you mention use a deep brood box and mediums on top. That will actually give you the ability to phase out your deeps in the first season too. Once your bees go into winter and move up into the mediums for the honey, they will naturally start rearing brood in them, then at the beginning of spring, you remove the deeps, and give them another medium on top to move into and draw out. Of course that means you have that deep frames and boxes laying around, so what you could do is make a few NUC's yourself and sell equipment and all to get rid of it.


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## clyderoad (Jun 10, 2012)

you're thinking correctly.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Asking a supplier to make you special nucs is going to result in you being charged a special price. You can always just but the deep nuc frames in two medium boxes and let the bees grow into the two medium frames beside them and as the outside deep frame becomes free of brood, pull it out, slide the deep frames to that side and fill in the empty hole in both mediums with two medium frames. Since you will probably only get three frames with brood in the average nuc, that process will be done in less than two months. Just maintaining a deep box or two for nucs to be introduced into is not a bad idea either. You may find that you like deeps in brood chambers better. I tried medium brood chambers and found I think it sucks. Makes too much extra work in my opinion the way I manage my bees.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

There are few ways you can take up the extra space and use the deep frames and fill the rest with mediums. One is a "shim" which is basically like the top 3" of a five frame nuc. Put that on top of your bottom medium and put the deeps in that and they hang down into the medium. Then put a board on the side to cover that gap and a board on top for a cover. As that box fills up, add a medium again and let those hang down again.

Another is just fill the rest of a deep box with mediums and cut the excess comb off later and tie it into frames.

Another is to make something 3" tall to put on the bottom under those frames.

Another is to use two medium boxes to start and let the deeps hang down from the top one into the bottom one and fill the rest out with mediums in both boxes.

And, of course, you can do as you originally said.


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## clyderoad (Jun 10, 2012)

Vance G said:


> I tried medium brood chambers and found I think it sucks. Makes too much extra work in my opinion the way I manage my bees.



I agree.
Keep those deep frames around, you may end up using them.


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## mc1960 (Jul 28, 2014)

Mr. Thomas, I noticed you are running 8F, are these deep or mediums? After 30+ years of construction, my shoulders are not what they used to be, since I am just getting started(ordering 1st. nucs in January), thought I would try to do things the lighter way to start with. I plan on starting with 6 nucs of Russian. Thanks for the comments.


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## mc1960 (Jul 28, 2014)

Mr. Michael, since you are the main one that got me started thinking on this, let me ask you this, the others in the local club are running 3 10F deeps, if I go to mediums should I plan for running 6 boxes on each hive to be about the same? I am in the process now of getting my wooden ware ready for April. Thanks


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Three ten frame mediums = 2 ten frame deeps.
Two eight frame mediums = 1 ten frame deep.
One eight frame medium = 1 five frame deep.


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## NeilV (Nov 18, 2006)

You can also keep hives with a single deep and supers as the permanent setup. That's what I do. I sometimes have to lift a deep box, but not normally. The deep is on the bottom, so it usually does not get lifted.


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## rwurster (Oct 30, 2010)

I ran out of 10 frame deep equipment and had to super a split with a 10 frame medium. It worked for the bees but not for me. It is definitely getting rotated out for a second deep in the spring.


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## bolter (Jun 27, 2013)

Try it and see if you like it//variety is the spice of life. we run 2x8 frame deeps for the brood chamber, shallows for honey. I make my own supers so that isn't an issue - not all that hard if you have a table saw and some basic skills.


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## johng (Nov 24, 2009)

I would think in LA. you could run a single deep as your brood chamber and as many mediums as needed for honey. A lot of people in the South run single deeps or one deep and a medium like you were asking about. If you figure three medium supers per hive you should be fine. All the hives won't require three supers but, some will require four and some only two. So if you go with three per hive it is a good middle of the road estimate. You can always extract and put supers back on if you run short. Once you get a feel for the area you will have a better idea of how many supers to have ready at the start of the season. 

I must admit I am very jealous when I watch Swamp People. You guys are covered up with Willow, Tupelo and Tallow and I'm sure some Gallberry and Palmetto thrown in for good measure.


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## Andrew Dewey (Aug 23, 2005)

Location is the key to what you'll need for a brood chamber. Many of the migratory hives that I see from the south consist of a single deep brood chamber, queen excluder and shallow honey supers. That would not be adequate for my area - where I'm using a whacked out combination of double deeps, double deeps + a medium, and triple deeps for my brood chambers, with shallows for honey supers. I'm still in the experimenting stage to see which combination the bees do best in (and I presume that is the one I will like best!)

A stack of six medium boxes for a brood chamber is too many frames to go through. A stack of two mediums (into which you could put the deep frames from a nuc) in your location seems doable. What size boxes are you planning to use for honey supers? Is it usual in your area for first year hives to make surplus? If so, you'll need honey supers and probably a queen excluder too.


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## mc1960 (Jul 28, 2014)

Mr. Andrew, I plan on using 8 frame mediums. Thanks for all of the comments everyone.


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## sterling (Nov 14, 2013)

Eight frame mediums work pretty good. Just hope you need to stack em high.


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