As always, beekeeping is local!  I should have said "In the northeast and
similar climates, new beekeepers seem to have considerable difficulty
learning to manage a brood nest of two deeps."

I do realize that most commercial beekeepers do very well with two deeps as
a brood nest.  Several have posted on this thread that they do well with
three deeps, and I well know a very successful beekeeping operation near
Albany NY that runs a brood nest of 3.5 deeps!  But none of this means that
two deeps is good advice for a beginning beekeeper.

When I answer a plea for help it is not uncommon to find that 'managing'
two deeps is just to much for newcomers.  I frequently find that after over
wintering only a dozen or so frames are sufficiently drawn to use for
brood.  I'd say *most* 2nd year early summer hives have severe chimneying
going on, with the bees only using 40%-60% of available frames.  And, of
course, the top box is so heavy that the beekeeper really has no knowledge
of what is going on in the bottom box.

I think that sometimes 'we' forget what is was to start in beekeeping.
Because it is easy for 'us' to get a deep box of foundation well drawn, we
forget that that is because we know when and how to do it...and just
naturally avoid trying when conditions are not favorable.

Lloyd

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html