trying something new for 2014

[danno]

I will be making 25 splits this spring and along with swarms I should have about 40 new colonies.  I will start them all off in single 10 frame deeps.   When its time for a 2nd deep I am going to put a excluder below it.   I have about 50 old wood bound excluders that if the weather ever warms up I will paint the outer edges a color that stands out. This way they will stand out and none with be left on over winter.   Most of these colonies wont produce a harvest anyway.   I will leave the excluders on until mid Nov.  By then I should have a full deep above and a cluster in the bottom. 

[D Coates]

This is to ensure you've got adequate stores in the top deep and the cluster in the bottom deep before winter?  Interesting idea.  Are the deeps you'll put in as the tops going to be already drawn?  Are your queens going to be marked so you can understand if the reduced laying space encourages swarming?  I too have had hives that seem to start the winter out higher in the 1st deep than they should be only to see them "chimney" up and freeze in a cantaloupe size cluster with honey all around them, but none above.  I assume you are trying to void that?  40 colonies are enough to be statistically relevant, whatever you find.

[danno]

Yes D Coates
That is what I'm hoping for.  I got the idea from my migratory friends that run a deep with a excluder and a med above year round.  There colonies dont swarm any more then mine do with this setup.   This will also make adding meds easier because all the brood will be in one area

[D Coates]

I love the idea.  There are times where they move into the upper deep and a bottom super right before harvest.  After harvest, try as I might they are reluctant to move down and backfill the super even with syrup on.  I end up having to overwinter them on 2 deeps and 1 super.  The bottom deep has honey on the sides but it might as well not even be there.  This is where all mediums would be an advantage because I could manipulate them to fit exactly as I want.  I still prefer deeps as hive bodies though.