# Quick Question



## DisasterCupcake (Jan 3, 2015)

So I'm a total noob at beekeeping. 

I bought a nuke this spring and it's doing well. recently I but on the fourth (medium) box. I have the queen excluder on top of the second box. 

Now, I did this because I read that 2 boxes is plenty of space for brood and anything above can be used for honey. I failed to realize that it was probably large boxes they were talking about. I have all mediums. 

SO now my question is, is it okay to unstack and move the queen excluder up a box. I haven't peeked at the bottom box's frames for a couple weeks so not sure if it's still entirely full of brood at this point.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

DisasterCupcake said:


> So I'm a total noob at beekeeping.
> 
> I bought a nuke this spring and it's doing well. recently I but on the fourth (medium) box. I have the queen excluder on top of the second box.
> 
> ...


Sure. 

And, in my opinion, it is good for a newbie to look inside the hive every week or two anyways. An experienced beekeeper can tell if the foragers are bringing in nectar by looking at them as they land, and an experienced beekeeper can tell if the hive has a good amount of stores by lifting a corner of the hive, but that is something that comes with practice. New beekeepers have to open the hive and look.


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## DisasterCupcake (Jan 3, 2015)

Thanks for the advice. 

I'm a little skittish of looking in there very often; that's what I did last year and I lost 2 hives. I'm not sure why I lost them and neither is the instructor that I was under at the time. This year I've been in there only when necessary and they seem to be doing great.


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## hmaxims (Jul 18, 2016)

I'm new to bees this year - having them on my own anyway. I was told to check on them every 10 days and I did. But my hive has tanked. Not many bees, so I am going to leave them alone the rest of the summer. I think 10 days was way too much. 

I have nothing to lose except the bees if they dont populate before winter. They have had sugar syrup since I got them. I bought some pollen that is supposed to increase brood. As mentioned I figure i have nothing to lose at this point.


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## DisasterCupcake (Jan 3, 2015)

Yes, I'm thinking I was way too nosy last year :/

Now that I just put another box on a week ago I'm anxious to open it up again so soon to move the excluder. I want there to be enough room for brood, obviously, but I'm worried it will stress the hive. I might wait another week to move it again.


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## Steve in PA (Nov 25, 2011)

Why do you have an excluder on the hive? They are to keep brood out of the honey framss. Since it's a first year hive you probably wont harvest honey.

I'd lose it until next year and let her lay wherever she wants. The bees know what they are doing.


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## DisasterCupcake (Jan 3, 2015)

I put on another box and took out the queen excluder last week. 

I was having a hard time getting the box unstuck, until I realized that it was THAT heavy. The medium box was so chuck full I could barely lift it-!

I about had a hernia getting it back on after taking out the queen excluder. Added an empty box on top of that. Did not replace excluder at all. 

So I'm assuming it's all honey in there? No I didn't look- I was getting stung and nearly having a heart attack from lifting the dang box. They seem to be incredibly productive.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

OH MY GAWD. Ever hear the term out side the box. Well thinking out side the box includes taking some of the frames out so it isn't so darn heavy.
Never under stood all the whining about deeps being to heavy to use.
I much rather look at 20 deep frame during a inspection than 30 medium frames.

Inspecting the deep box on the right and placing the frames in the box in the middle on the right. Once the inspection is done just reverse the frames back into the box on the right.



 Al


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## DisasterCupcake (Jan 3, 2015)

As I said, I didn't look in the box 
After losing 2 hives I'm not into opening the hive or taking out frames just for the heck of it. Would rather strain a little than do something terribly awful to the bees. 
Only mentioned it because I thought a whole box full in two weeks time was noteworthy. But, I don't know really anything about it.


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