>  But before I make the plunge I was looking for opinions about using 8 frame hives.  I would like to know if it is a better size.

I have had great success with overwintering in 8-fr set-ups. I'm not sure it's a "better" size. I think it depends on your bees, your location, amount of forage before winter, etc. 

Last winter, my 8 frames were busting early and I chose to transfer them into 10-fr equipment asap or they surely would have swarmed. Checkering them into 10-fr equipment helped a lot in that situation. Some have claimed that 8-fr is better suited for how the cluster is sized and how it moves, but I think that will still be different from one hive or apiary to the next. I treat my apiaries as a unit as much as possible... running the same equipment in the same yard and trying to understand what forage it out there and when. I have found that 8-fr equipment in one yard is not enough (maybe due to the forage and how much the bees are getting at it). But in another yard, they are more appropriate. Also, a fellow beekeeper, Tim Ives, runs 10-fr with 3 or more deep bodies for his brood chambers... saying that is a more suitable space for his bees. His towering 14+ honey supers on it shows it's working for him.

I think the decision to run 8-fr equipment is more of a matter of your situation and bees. My mentor is raising some great quality queens that really pack the honey away (or maybe, just get more out of the surrounding forage) and he's been playing with running all 10-fr deep bodies for everything (while he's able :)

In terms of heating the space, any healthy cluster will be able to manage that if they don't have other issues at hand and if the cluster is smaller, then perhaps 8-fr equipment is more appropriate in that situation. I think it's a decision you could make close to the last time you will be in the hive for the season. We just spoke about overwintering nucs in our last meeting and many argued that it's better to stuff the appropriate amount of bees in that smaller space for the winter so that the cluster covers ALL the frames. Then, they would add a second body to it if it was needed (usually all honey) and even a candy board. I've always combined such hives, but I may try it out this winter. 

Jason
SE Indiana
www.indianahoney.org


 		 	   		  
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