# 1 or 2 deep brood boxes?



## Vicki

we just started 3 nucs about 2 weeks ago...one hive has almost filled the brood box...the guy we purchased from said to just put on a super ...but I have heard that it is better to have 2 brood boxes full before putting on a super...any thoughts?


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## alleyyooper

Two deep unless you just have to have the honey.

 Al


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## tom j

I would go with the 2 deeps ,, get them built up so you have a half chance of having a hive that will make it though the winter ... you never know what kind of summer we will have ,, and you will have to get 90 dollars of honey this year to brake even ,, if they don't get built up and pull through the winter .. and hey ,, if it was me selling packages ,, why would I care if they build up by fall ,,and heck if they do not make it til spring I will sell you another package ..


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## Queen Bee

I run two hive bodies on all my hives! I also feed my new nucs/hives for a while to help them get built up.. I never expect honey during the first yr. I want my hives strong going into winter. If the hives are weak, I will combine them and kill the weaker hive's queen.. The next spring--if the hives are booming I will spilt them. 

We have older keepers that run a hive w/ all supers. They want all their equipment the same and the supers weigh a lot less.. They leave 4 supers on for the winter... where I leave 2 hive bodies and a super..


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## sevenmmm

I did an experiment with one having three deeps, starting last year and through the winter, and will continue unless there is a problem. The bulk of the hive is in the middle deep, the upper is used both for brood and honey storage, the lower they filled with pollen and now the queen finally laid some eggs in it. I decided to experiment after reading one reason they swarm is because the hive is short on space. And also I read that bees like a space equal to two 5 gallon pails. So far so good.


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## tom j

but I bet 3 deeps are a bear to go through ,, don't think I would want 20 hives that are 3 beeps ,, that would be like having 30 hives to go through that only had 2 beeps ... although I have thought about doing it ,,, but like I say lot of boxs


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## sevenmmm

tom j said:


> but I bet 3 deeps are a bear to go through ,, don't think I would want 20 hives that are 3 beeps ,, that would be like having 30 hives to go through that only had 2 beeps ... although I have thought about doing it ,,, but like I say lot of boxs


They are heavy and although I am still in the honey moon period, I suspect it would be tedious after while. My only interest right now is with having bees survive the WI winter.


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## alleyyooper

Tom you can have your cake and eat it to with 3 boxes for over wintering.
Place the deep with honey in the fall the bees work up thru the winter. come a normal spring after a normal winter the girls should be in the top of second deep. Set them off to the side and remove the 3d deep and set the other two back in place. a second bottom board would be nice to so you didn't have to lift them again. 
Still a pain when 2 deeps full of honey and possiably a candy board on top will sufice.

 Al


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## tom j

I had thought about 3 deeps but ,, going through 3 deeps ,, would take a lot of time , and I think it would be harder going through 1 3 deep hive then 2 2deep hives ,, may bee not but I'm going to stay with 2 deep for now ,, but the thought has crossed my mind , so sevenmmm is not along with the thought .. I have thought about 3 meds because of the weight ,, but 30 frames are a lot , Don't get me wrong I like going through the hive ,, in fact I as a norm go in them more often then I should ,, but I do it to relax , not just for honey , but rain and life this spring has kept me out of my hives ... I go in them when I can even when only a mad man would ,, wind ,, cool temp ,, no sun , late evening . but they put up with me only stung 4 times so far and if I hadn't crushed 2 it woulld have only been 2 stings


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