The attached file, CONVERT.RTF, describes how we convert a colony from 2
deeps to 3 mediums.  It is based on Central Maryland conditions.
 
W. G. Miller
Gaithersburg, MD
 


{\rtf1\ansi \deff0{\fonttbl{\f16\froman Times New Roman;}}{\colortbl;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green0\blue255;\red0\green255\blue255;\red0\green255\blue0;\red255\green0\blue255;\red255\green0\blue0;\red255\green255\blue0;\red128\green128\blue128;\red255\green255\blue255;\red0\green0\blue128;\red0\green128\blue128;\red0\green128\blue0;\red128\green0\blue128;\red128\green0\blue0;\red192\green192\blue192;\red0\green0\blue0;}\paperh15844\paperw12244\ftnbj \sectd\footery1080\pard \plain\b\f16 Converting a Colony form Deeps to Mediums\par \par \plain\f16 \tab \tab \tab \tab \tab \tab \tab \tab \tab Bill Miller\par \par \tab This technique is used in Central Maryland, where March and April are our hive build-up months, and our main nectar flow is May and early June.   Appropriate adjustments will be necessary in areas with different conditions.\par \par \plain\b\f16 First Year:\plain\f16   It is early April.  You have a hive in two deeps that you wish to convert to three mediums.  You have no mediums with drawn comb.\par \par At supering time, instead of supering normally, you put a medium box in between the two deep hive bodies.  As the nectar flow progresses and the first medium is drawn out, put a second medium box with undrawn foundation on top of the first medium box (and under the deep on top.   The bees will fill the deep as your super; harvest it when capped and retire the box.\par \par This is as far as you will be able to go in a normal Maryland year.   Once the deep in harvested, the colony goes through the rest of the year as two mediums over a deep.\par \par \plain\b\f16 Second Year:  \plain\f16 Again at supering time, put an undrawn medium box over top of the two drawn mediums, and put the deep over the mediums as a super.   Place any additional supers under the deep.   At harvest time, take off the deep (and other supers) and you will be left with the colony in three mediums.\par \par \plain\b\f16 Note:\plain\f16   If you have medium boxes with drawn comb, you can put them on in early April and finish the job in a single year.\par \par W. G. Miller\par Gaithersburg, MD\par \par }