Does anyone just use brood sized boxes?

[pigletwillie]

Do any of you just use brood sized boxes for broods and as supers? My rationale would be that everything is the same.

It comes to mind because I ran out of supers this year and used a brood box as a super with new foundation. Other than the super sized super being a tad heavier than normal it worked really well and I now have a box full of lovely drawn out comb to replace old ones in the spring rather than putting in new foundation.

Is the weight thing and or tradition the only reason we have two sizes?

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

I do.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslazy.htm

 

[REDWOOD]

God no, I find carrying normal sized supers heavy, perhaps in my younger days I might of toiled with the idea.

 

[protheroe]

broods full of honey are just way too heavy to be humping across a field.its bad enough just lifting the things

 

[user 6228]

Do any of you just use brood sized boxes for broods and as supers? My rationale would be that everything is the same.

It comes to mind because I ran out of supers this year and used a brood box as a super with new foundation. Other than the super sized super being a tad heavier than normal it worked really well and I now have a box full of lovely drawn out comb to replace old ones in the spring rather than putting in new foundation.

Is the weight thing and or tradition the only reason we have two sizes?

Ask the WBKA (Weightlifters and Bee keeping Association), rather than the BIBK (Back Injury Bee keepers) I know a few menbers of the latter group (PM Dpearce) but not any of the former

 

[oliver90owner]

By definition a brood box is not a super, even if the same size (and vice versa). A full brood box will not contain any (sensibly recoverable) honey if operated properly.

Some use one-sized boxes, particularly in Langstroth format.

I have used a 14 x 12 as a super before now. I don't do it on a regular basis, and had good reason for doing so.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

By definition a brood box is not a super, even if the same size (and vice versa). A full brood box will not contain any (sensibly recoverable) honey if operated properly.

Some use one-sized boxes, particularly in Langstroth format.

I have used a 14 x 12 as a super before now. I don't do it on a regular basis, and had good reason for doing so.

"Brood-sized boxes"

 

[yeogi75]

I do as well , try using foundation less frames like these in the spring they will fill them out very quick, you can then spin out the honey and replace any old brood frames with nice new drawn wax.

 

[yeogi75]

oh and save your back, make a nuc with carrying strap and fill with new frames, when you look at the frames put full one in box and replace with new (kiss) as they say

 

[YorkshireBees]

Do any of you just use brood sized boxes for broods and as supers? My rationale would be that everything is the same.

It comes to mind because I ran out of supers this year and used a brood box as a super with new foundation. Other than the super sized super being a tad heavier than normal it worked really well and I now have a box full of lovely drawn out comb to replace old ones in the spring rather than putting in new foundation.

Is the weight thing and or tradition the only reason we have two sizes?

I was told by a very experienced beekeeper that it's a great way to generate new drawn comb but as other have said weight is one problem and for me I don't have time to extract large frames (busy enough with normal size frames)!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

oh and save your back, make a nuc with carrying strap and fill with new frames, when you look at the frames put full one in box and replace with new (kiss) as they say

But try lifting one off the top of a head high stack when doing an inspection (left one on after a demarree this year) - you can't ponce around with shuffling frames from one box to another every time you inspect

 

[yeogi75]

you can do anything if you work the hive right, double brood and two broods on top is all that is needed unless you like them tall, and trying to beat everyone else

 

[oliver90owner]

"Brood-sized boxes"

Here is another quote from the same post: ''used a brood box as a super''.

They are all boxes; they are only called 'broods or 'supers' because of the chosen usage. For some formats there is no differentiation at all. Some formats, like the Dartington are not exactlty exchangeable, but the brood nest and honey storage can mostly be in the same box; some formats like the Warre, the boxes change use automatically (hopefully) as the season progresses.

British Standard Nationals are not the only format around (I think).

 

[Bosleeu]

Some use one-sized boxes, particularly in Langstroth format.

See http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=30908&highlight=medium+boxes

 

[iand]

Some use one-sized boxes, particularly in Langstroth format.

A mate I help out uses only langstroth deeps for brood and supers.
They are great for drawing out comb to use for brood, the bees do a much better job.
On the weight issue, I find a national shallow puts more leaverage on my back than a langstroth deep with the same amount of honey, which is of course carried closer to the body. That said we had hundreds of deeps to shift this time weighing well over 30kg, when they start getting that heavy you don't go to far with them!

 

[pigletwillie]

As my hives are all at home and the distance from the apiary to a covered part of the garden where I do my extracting is literally a few paces, through a gate then a few paces, the weight isnt an issue.

I may try a double brood then brood sized supers above on one hive just as an experiment next year. I know I can never get enough drawn out brood comb to keep up with replacing old stuff and filling nucs (then full sized hives) so the bonus of having lots of drawn out comb from using them as supers would be a great bonus. Plus as I suppose two brood size equals three super size I only have two thirds the extracting and uncapping to do!

Does a double brood lessen swarming as they have lots of room?

 

[yeogi75]

no it doesn't stop swarming, but does gives them enough room to make them think twice about swarming, if you go for double brood try to keep honey arch over the top of brood at the top as it acts as a natural barrier for the queen rather than queen excluder

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

no it doesn't stop swarming, but does gives them enough room to make them think twice about swarming, if you go for double brood try to keep honey arch over the top of brood at the top as it acts as a natural barrier for the queen rather than queen excluder

Top tip; thanks.

There's also a very interesting-sounding system of three supers as a brood nest, rotating. I don't remember the details but I will definitely go there when the all-medium Nationals is too much.

 

[Amari]

As my hives are all at home and the distance from the apiary to a covered part of the garden where I do my extracting is literally a few paces, through a gate then a few paces, the weight isnt an issue.
I may try a double brood then brood sized supers above on one hive just as an experiment next year. I know I can never get enough drawn out brood comb to keep up with replacing old stuff and filling nucs (then full sized hives) so the bonus of having lots of drawn out comb from using them as supers would be a great bonus. Plus as I suppose two brood size equals three super size I only have two thirds the extracting and uncapping to do!
Does a double brood lessen swarming as they have lots of room?

National brood frames won't fit into my 9-frame radial extractor.

 

[pigletwillie]

Amari, they fit in my four frame extractor