> >> Perhaps a dumb question (after all, I'm full of them) but why 9 frames in a single deep?
At least 90% of the commercial operations I have seen use 9 frames in a 10 frame hive. Maybe closer to 99%, but I don't have the stats. The reason is simple, 10 frames are too tight. Once you have run hives this way, you won't want to go back. Also, the wider spacing was advocated by the Dadants but Root's narrower spacing prevailed, for no good reason that I can see.
PLB
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