Comments on: Less Frames, More Honey Weight! http://www.beekeepersfriend.com/2009/12/04/less-frames-more-honey-weight/ Peaches' Beekeeping Blog Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:32:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: ekpeach http://www.beekeepersfriend.com/2009/12/04/less-frames-more-honey-weight/comment-page-1/#comment-10285 ekpeach Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:56:09 +0000 http://www.beekeepersfriend.com/?p=382#comment-10285 Thank you,Lois. I will probably, in the future, take your commit and make a post out of it. Good explanation for nucs. Thank you,Lois. I will probably, in the future, take your commit and make a post out of it. Good explanation for nucs.

]]> By: Lois Merritt http://www.beekeepersfriend.com/2009/12/04/less-frames-more-honey-weight/comment-page-1/#comment-10284 Lois Merritt Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:28:26 +0000 http://www.beekeepersfriend.com/?p=382#comment-10284 Hey Peaches, I was looking thru ebay @ beekeeping stuff and came upon a guy selling nucs. This is a very good description/reason for using a nuc. I guess I never really 'got it' before. Makes a lot of sense, nothing u didn't already know I'm sure. Just something to add to/for newbies. Lo 1: HONEY PRODUCTION: Bee hives that are more congested produce surplus honey above the brood chamber faster. Our test show that a double deep 5 frame hive will out produce a single 10 frame hive sitting next to it. Another thought, if you compare two 5 frame hives to one 10 frame hive, you have the same amount of frames being used in the two 5's as the one ten. However, with the two 5's you are running two queens verses one queen in the 10 framer. Which do you think will be the more productive situation? Also, it is the bees nature to work upwards rather than side to side. Common sense tells us that in nature when bees build natural hives in a hallow tree, the 5 frame hive is more native for them. 2. DEFENSE: The 1" entrance hole we use coupled with a stronger hive makes wax moths and the small hive beetle have a difficult time getting in. The chances of being robbed are reduced as the bees can defend the smaller entrance. Thus allowing them to produce brood and honey rather than fighting with other bees. Again, in nature bees can survive for years in hollow trees with a small finger size entrance hole. 3. LIFTING SUPERS OR MOVING: Need I say more? A lot of us beekeepers are getting a little age on us. Toting a 5 frame deep or medium super of honey is half the load verses 10 frame equipment. Work smarter, not harder. The same is true when relocating your hives. 4. OVER WINTERING: A lot of our northern customers have ask how the 5 frame hives will overwinter? Very good question. My answer is this. In the fall of the year about the time the drones get the boot, the queen slows down on brood production. The reduction in brood means that not many new bees will be coming on board. So the entire colony of bees are getting ready for winter. They have what they have as far as numbers go. It is this same group of bees that will form a cluster to keep warm during times of freezing temps. In short, that same cluster of bees becomes a heater. Now lets use some good ole fashion common sense. Which would be better? A large room with a heater placed in the middle of the room? Or a small room with the same heater placed in the middle of the room? I will leave that up to you to decide. Hey Peaches,
I was looking thru ebay @ beekeeping stuff and came upon a guy selling nucs. This is a very good description/reason for using a nuc. I guess I never really ‘got it’ before. Makes a lot of sense, nothing u didn’t already know I’m sure. Just something to add to/for newbies. Lo

1: HONEY PRODUCTION: Bee hives that are more congested produce surplus honey above the brood chamber faster. Our test show that a double deep 5 frame hive will out produce a single 10 frame hive sitting next to it. Another thought, if you compare two 5 frame hives to one 10 frame hive, you have the same amount of frames being used in the two 5’s as the one ten. However, with the two 5’s you are running two queens verses one queen in the 10 framer. Which do you think will be the more productive situation? Also, it is the bees nature to work upwards rather than side to side. Common sense tells us that in nature when bees build natural hives in a hallow tree, the 5 frame hive is more native for them.

2. DEFENSE: The 1″ entrance hole we use coupled with a stronger hive makes wax moths and the small hive beetle have a difficult time getting in. The chances of being robbed are reduced as the bees can defend the smaller entrance. Thus allowing them to produce brood and honey rather than fighting with other bees. Again, in nature bees can survive for years in hollow trees with a small finger size entrance hole.

3. LIFTING SUPERS OR MOVING: Need I say more? A lot of us beekeepers are getting a little age on us. Toting a 5 frame deep or medium super of honey is half the load verses 10 frame equipment. Work smarter, not harder. The same is true when relocating your hives.

4. OVER WINTERING: A lot of our northern customers have ask how the 5 frame hives will overwinter? Very good question. My answer is this. In the fall of the year about the time the drones get the boot, the queen slows down on brood production. The reduction in brood means that not many new bees will be coming on board. So the entire colony of bees are getting ready for winter. They have what they have as far as numbers go. It is this same group of bees that will form a cluster to keep warm during times of freezing temps. In short, that same cluster of bees becomes a heater. Now lets use some good ole fashion common sense. Which would be better? A large room with a heater placed in the middle of the room? Or a small room with the same heater placed in the middle of the room? I will leave that up to you to decide.

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