Hello Randy & All,

> Back in the days of hand loading individual colonies, many of us ran one
>> deep and one medium for the brood chamber.  It balanced much better when 
>> you
>> picked it up.

The above was not said by me. I have never handled a deep and medium by 
hand. I have handled singles and deeps with a Payne loader years ago.

Years ago I handled two deeps by hand. I have serious lower back issues from 
a life of heavy lifting. As I said before muscles have developed in my 
fingers from lifting boxes by the current industry hand holds which make my 
hands look cupped and hard for me to hold straight without feeling the 
muscles tighten.

My beekeeping partner picks up two deeps even today moving from skid to 
another skid by hand but he stands six foot five and is around 300 pounds. 
Worked 17 years in police work. Is an expert marksman. If its legal to hunt 
most likely he has hunted the critter.

Many people look for me at a national meeting by looking for the tallest 
person and I am usually close by.
His hands make two of mine. The heavy work of beekeeping comes easy for 
Glenn due to his size and strength.

both Glenn ( Bell Hill Honey) and myself have tried a deep and a medium but 
find two deeps better for our purposes. I will do a post on my opinions on 
keeping bees in two deeps if you will explain Randy why you prefer a deep 
and a medium. Maybe others will join in explaining why they prefer a certain 
config.

Years ago (10?) when I was on the Irish Beekeeping List ( which I miss but 
like the *other* list have little time to read and post these days) I 
learned the Langstroth box is not preferred in the U.K. like in the U.S. and 
my U.K. friends were quick to point out why they preferred the boxes they 
used.

Many did like the old Dadant tall deep which I have used but I do not know 
of a single beek still using. Are there beeks on the list still using the 
size?

Will work on a post in response to Randy's question about "honey getting" in 
two deeps.

My long time friend David Hackenberg uses two deeps and a shallow. he has 
explained several times why he uses the config but still does not really fit 
into my way of beekeeping but he has used two deeps and a shallow ever since 
we first met in Florida years ago by a semi truck. We were instant friends 
and his tales of trucking bees over decades can span hours without ever 
telling the same story twice.

A well known commercial Midwest beek with which I have taken bees into 
California and Texas with tells people I can tell tales of beekeeping and 
the Teamsters ( I was involved for 31 years) for the several days on the 
road and never tell the same story twice.

bob

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