8 frame brood

[Donks87l]

Hi, I have been gifted a hive
It has two brood box's taking langstroth deep one super, all 8 frames each.
My question is once my colony get up and going would two brood boxes be to much?
Also how easy isit to cut back down to one for winter, or isit best hust leave two on?
Thankyou

 

[Ian123]

Purely depends on how big the colony is..I have some that will be in 3 national bb but winter on 1 or 2. So there is no set answer to your question. For a decent queen 2 lang brood boxes may be be enough, provide space for her to lay and boxes above for honey/ nectar.

In reality what the boxes are called is irrelevant you can add or remove as required.
For winter if the bees are filling a space late Autumn that’s what they get for wintering. Fill it with food and monitor during winter and you won’t go far wrong.

 

[WalnutTreeBees]

8 langstroth brood frames have the same comb area as 11 national brood frames. So treat it as you would a national hive. Many queens will need more than a single national brood, but you can always use extra dummy boards if you feel that the double is too big. You many find they don't lay up the full width of the Langstroth frames anyway.

 

[Ian123]

8 langstroth brood frames have the same comb area as 11 national brood frames. So treat it as you would a national hive. Many queens will need more than a single national brood, but you can always use extra dummy boards if you feel that the double is too big. You many find they don't lay up the full width of the Langstroth frames anyway.

Why bother with the dummy boards they’ll use the frames for brood or honey if they require the room. When they get 3/4 full in the next box just add another.

 

[WalnutTreeBees]

Why bother with the dummy boards they’ll use the frames for brood or honey if they require the room. When they get 3/4 full in the next box just add another.

Just throwing it out there as an idea. Some people want all the honey in the supers. No idea how prolific the queen is, or if there is abundant forage in the vicinity.

 

[fian]

8 langstroth brood frames have the same comb area as 11 national brood frames. So treat it as you would a national hive. Many queens will need more than a single national brood, but you can always use extra dummy boards if you feel that the double is too big. You many find they don't lay up the full width of the Langstroth frames anyway.

It seems strange to me.
Wax base for European langstroth frames 420*200. So 8 frames are 1,344 m2 on both sides.
Comb 14*12= 0.108 m2. So 6 frames and something.
Comb 14*8.5 = 0.077m2
So it's a little less than 9 frames.

 

[WalnutTreeBees]

It seems strange to me.
Wax base for European langstroth frames 420*200. So 8 frames are 1,344 m2 on both sides.
Comb 14*12= 0.108 m2. So 6 frames and something.
Comb 14*8.5 = 0.077m2
So it's a little less than 9 frames.

I measured the internal frame area.

National: (336*189)*11=698,544
Lang: (425*206)*8= 700,400

 

[JamezF]

Just throwing it out there as an idea. Some people want all the honey in the supers. No idea how prolific the queen is, or if there is abundant forage in the vicinity.

Yes. Mine (on double brood) can have as many has half a dozen frames of stores left at the end of the winter. I'm seriously considering replacing the two outer frames in each box with an insulated dummy in the hope that some of the excess will end up in supers instead.

Brood-and-a-half would probably be the right kind of size, but I'm not a masochist.

James

 

[Ian123]

Yes. Mine (on double brood) can have as many has half a dozen frames of stores left at the end of the winter. I'm seriously considering replacing the two outer frames in each box with an insulated dummy in the hope that some of the excess will end up in supers instead.

Brood-and-a-half would probably be the right kind of size, but I'm not a masochist.

James

Then why not late season pack them down into 1 box?

 

[Donks87l]

Just throwing it out there as an idea. Some people want all the honey in the supers. No idea how prolific the queen is, or if there is abundant forage in the vicinity.

This was my worry aswell

 

[JamezF]

Then why not late season pack them down into 1 box?

I'm still feeling out my preferred solution to the situation to be honest, but trying to squish them down from two boxes to one seems like harder work than might be desirable. The positive side of going through winter in a double brood is that I pretty much never have to feed them.

James

 

[Antipodes]

It has two brood box's taking langstroth deep one super, all 8 frames each.

You could use one of the two larger boxes for the nest, and the other larger box (as well as the smaller box) as supers (above the nest).
As an example, in NSW and QLD they tend to use a deep 10 frame langstroth box above the nest as a super(s) (any sized box can be used as a super). Full of honey, they can be quite heavy, so don't try and lift the whole box full of honey all at once -if you are lucky enough to get to that stage. Remove some of the frames first.
In relation to packing a hive down into one box for winter, that is relatively easy (compared to other challenges in beekeeping) so you'll be ok with that.

 

[Donks87l]

You could use one of the two larger boxes for the nest, and the other larger box (as well as the smaller box) as supers (above the nest).
As an example, in NSW and QLD they tend to use a deep 10 frame langstroth box above the nest as a super(s) (any sized box can be used as a super). Full of honey, they can be quite heavy, so don't try and lift the whole box full of honey all at once -if you are lucky enough to get to that stage. Remove some of the frames first.
In relation to packing a hive down into one box for winter, that is relatively easy (compared to other challenges in beekeeping) so you'll be ok with that.

That's a good idea, would many honey extractors take the larger frames? I will be borrowing one from my local club so not sure what the norm is for them

 

[Nannysbees]

I'm still feeling out my preferred solution to the situation to be honest, but trying to squish them down from two boxes to one seems like harder work than might be desirable. The positive side of going through winter in a double brood is that I pretty much never have to feed them.

James

First year of putting our hives on a double brood, past few years have been on a brood and a half overwinter spring and summer, thought I would reduce to a single brood in autumn, didn't think about keeping them on a double!!!!

 

[Antipodes]

That's a good idea, would many honey extractors take the larger frames? I will be borrowing one from my local club so not sure what the norm is for them

Yes, they do, but you need to check with the club about their particular extractor.
All the extractors made in China that I've seen here take a standard deep langstroth frame, as do European ones like the Saf Natura., Lega and Logar ...and others of course. Some particular extractors in those brands don't, and some do. Some have interchangeable baskets for different size frames for instance, but use the same barrel and motor etc.