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Date: | Fri, 26 Sep 1997 11:00:10 -0400 |
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Let me weigh in on the 3 mediums side of this debate:
My operation is all mediums (supers and brood chambers). The advantages are:
1) Complete size standardization: A piece of equipment (box or frame) fits
anywhere in the operation. When I need a frame of drawn comb, I can get it
from my stack of supers.
2) Equipment weights are reasonable. A full medium super weighs about 40
pounds, vs. 70 for a full deep. You'll notice this when you have to lug full
boxes up a hill.
3) With mediums, I have more flexibility when I want to do hive
manipulations. Spring reversing doesn't break up the cluster as much.
But there are a few disadvantages:
1) Higher part count: My hives have 10 more frames and one more box than
comparable 2-deep colonies.
2) Somewhat higher first cost: This is due to the higher part count,
although the equipment cost difference is only a few dollars per hive.
However, if you keep deeps, you should also keep boxes of drawn deep comb for
replacements/emeregencies, while with mediums I can get drawn comb frames out
of my super stack. This offsets the initial cost difference.
Converting a 2-deep colony to a 3-medium colony is a simple procedure
(details available on request).
W. G. Miller
Gaithersburg, MD
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