so Gerald you are the tie breaker. I am setting up my hive I have two boxes one med with bees and one deep empty. I will eventually add my flow super on top. So the question is. Which goes first the box with bees or the box without bees?
Neu,
Iām old school so Iāve always placed my empty on the top. Now Dawn does the opposite with the logic that in nature ( old trees, cave n stumps the bees build down )ā¦ I have to agree with her that they do that !
But that means I have to lift the heavy full hive box, set it as side n set the empty under it ā¦ Hmmā¦ Iāve not tried that with a any of my hives yet. So for now ā¦ Iāll stack my empty super on top the full brood hive box. Maybe next year Iāll experiment ā¦ But I
am now over 70 years n my way is physical easier for me !!
So mine are brood box, then add another deep for my honey super ( I think you said you were going with a medium/Iāll recheck when Iām done writing)ā¦ Then the third will be my Flow-Super as the second ( honey super) gets about 85% full of nectar/honey n maybe some brood too.
Does that help you ?? Thatās my logic n way for the moment. Iām guessing either plan would work or Dawn wouldnāt be promoting the Empty on the bottom. Sheās pretty fussy n does a great job. Sheās helped me a few times.
Ta ta n good luck n happy beekeeping !
Gerald
Well now, Jerry, you know how to solve that issue! You put an empty box next to the hive, take out 4 or 5 frames, lift the now half empty brood box (easily! 
) and set it on top of the other half box of frames. You can now put your empty box underneath and reassemble everything. This is the only way I can lift deeps on my own anyway. I always have spare empty boxes, so it isnāt hard to do. 
Both ways work, but underneath is much less disruptive for the hive, and in my experience the hive grows faster if you do it that way. Yesterday, I inspected our hive on which I first tried that method, and I was shocked at how strong it now is. Ninety % of the comb in the lower box is fully drawn and the queen is actively laying huge areas down there. I think she loves the slatted rack - I will always use those now, the brood pattern across the two boxes is beautiful.
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Dawn,
You are my personal long distance mentor ! Ive always been one to stand back on ideas n observe n learn. To be honest, as small as my 5 to 6 hive apiary is I can still swing those heavy deep 10 framers ā¦ BUT Iām not silly enough to think thatās going to continue many more years. Thatās why Iām trying lighter cedar n/or 8 frame boxes. Not sure Iāll change to mediums ā¦ But my actual honey supers are the āShallowsāā¦
Iām guessing if my colonies of bees survive our cool/damp winter ā¦ N if the bees remain I might reverse the boxes or do you advise leaving them up there n seeing how they rebuild downward from the deep honey super into the lower brood. If all survive I can try both ways for an experiment, right ā¦ Or wait n see how yours DO next Spring 
!
Wow ! Aināt this beekeeping great ! I truely am excited ā¦ I think I will order a backup Nuc just in case ā¦ If everyone makes it Iāll have have hive/colony #6 n it will be named āFir Hiveāā¦ Then if i catch a swarm or have to split ā¦ (I already have 6 more Nuc deep boxes ready for next Spring Iāll start raising āNucāsā. Hmmm, howād I get here so fast. I thot it was just this last Spring I popped bees in my Boxes ! Iām still thinking about buying one or two 7 (wider 10 framer) Flow supers for my several 10 frame Langstroth hives. Have to see how the cash flow is. I donāt do credit except
. Been out back feeding my hens n checking my bees n Flow ā¦ I usually check them all every morning.
Got a doctors appointment today so better get moving ā¦ The doctor checks me over each year for skin cancer. I had a malignant growth in my face back in the early 1980ās. Rather not do that again. They got it with radiation therapy (not done today)ā¦ So take care n enjoy your Humpday young lady.
Ta ta n cheerio !
Jerry 
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You got it I and I am Neu 
. I begin by saying I have been near a hive once in class. It was easy but I had people around me. I have to learn how to start the smoker I borrowed. I am alone and although strong the box is heavy and more bulky. Then to addā¦ the bees I bought first evening I noticed they were hanging outside the box. I called the person whom I bought the bees from and he said they were over crowded and needed to be set up sooner than later. So stressing as I donāt know how long they will stay and not up and find better digs. In the mean time, the box is ok but not what I want on my hive so I ordered a cedar box per Dawns great suggestion. As luck has it I am far so it will take forever to get it. In the mean time I am learning how to set it up. But think I need to do a temporary fix until the new box comes. I was not planning on two boxes so I am on a quick learning curve. As you said, I was planning on putting my empty box first then the full box for ease to transfer the old frames into the new box. This conversation has been awesome. Now to save my bees from leaving. First I have to separate the full box from its bottom board. I think for ease and less moving. I will put my new flowhive bottom board and my empty deep then the full medium then the solid top with hole and the top. Then when then bottom box has bees in it I should add my flow super? My instructor said BEE confident. Now any smoking tips???
I am not quite sure what you are asking, Jerryā¦ Do you mean you are thinking of switching your honey super mediums/shallows down into the brood area? I would only do that if you really canāt lift the deeps. Or do you mean switching the boxes around in Spring as a sort of swarm prevention? I donāt like doing that - I would rather switch out some old brood frames for fresh new ones, and let any old brood hatch above the QX before discarding or rendering the comb. If the hive was very strong, and didnāt need the brood, I might even split it into a nucleus. So many choices!
If I didnāt answer what you were asking, please tell me what I missed. My brain is getting old and is a bit fuzzy sometimes!
Sounds like a great plan. You may need the flat blade of a hive tool to get the medium to separate from the bottom board. Donāt forget to put 8 frames in the deep box, and push them all together in the middle of the box. That way the bees wonāt make as much creative comb, hopefullyā¦
The general rule is that when every frame in a new box is full of mostly fully drawn comb, and the comb is 80% full of brood, honey or nectar, with every frame covered in bees, it is a good time to add a super on top of the hive.
Smoking is bad for your health - good tip?
I know, you meant for your smoker. OK, well I use burlap as my fuel - that natural unbleached sacking that bulk potatoes are shipped in. If you arenāt experienced, you might want to start the smoker by screwing up a sheet of newspaper, light that, put it in the smoker and give a few puffs on the bellows. Then put your real fuel on top - the newspaper will not last very long. You can many different fuels - some people use wood chips or shavings, be careful, they can burn hot. Some like to use cuttings from rosemary or lavender bushes, but they wonāt burn well unless dried a bit first.
Here is an article which you might enjoy:
Good luck, and please let us know how it goes, when you have time!
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Neu,
If you have learned to keep SMOKER going ā¦ Excellent ! Often I donāt use my smoker but for a beginner it is always BEST/good idea.
I encourage new Beekeepers to use only small amounts. A couple slow good puffs in bottom entrance then wait 30 second or so then lift crown board/inner lid with whole or shot couple of good puffs into the upper hole. Wait little bit then lift slowly n carefully. If bees still ontop of frames gentle smoke with couple more puffs n wait to results. Keep your smoker close/handy (remember itās very hot) so donāt set where it will melt or start a fire. Often I wonāt use anymore smoke unless the guard bees start bumping into my veil n face area. The smoker is to help disguise your presence n odor. They communicate partly by giving off odors so smoke hides their odor warnings to other guard bees. I try to move slow n easy not bumping things or jerking motions. Bees donāt like FAST. Good beekeeper learn to move slow n certain.
Write me how you are doing. Iām interested to see that you learn n succeed.
Happy beekeeping n good luck,
Gerald
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Yes and Thank you.for the site. I also went to You Tube U and learned in class banana leaves are calming. I also have coconuts so use some mat.s I will fill you in and share pictures.
will keep you posted and that was very beneficial .
@DextersShed also just posted this very helpful video:
http://forum.honeyflow.com/t/keeping-a-smoker-lit/2018/42?u=dawn_sd
Let us know how it went, we are very curious! 
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Neu,
Could you take a couple pixās of your hive ? Iād love to see your hive n setup. I enjoy all pixās of peopleās bees n hives.
Gerald.
I did but the site said they were too big ? So will either take with my phone or figure out how to resize the ones from my camera. Cheers
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Well, checked on the super today and they have it almost full again! I had thought theyād move the remaining three frames of honey down to the new brood box but I guess not! Iām going to have to suit-up and somehow get the full super off so that I can inspect the new brood box to see if theyāre building it up or not. Any ideas on what I should do from here?
Well now, thereās an invitation!!!
I would inspect both brood boxes, harvest any capped Flow frames and leave the rest. If they are not building up the second brood box, you can always give them the honey back later. If they donāt move the uncapped honey down by late August/early September, you could harvest it and freeze (to prevent fermentation) then feed it back to them over winter as needed.
If they havenāt built out the second brood box by September, you may want to remove it - it is just more space for them to keep warm over winter = increased honey requirements to survive.
I am sure that you will get lots of other good ideas though!
By the way, if you have an empty deep, you could pull out a couple of the Flow frames and put them in that to make it easier to lift the Flow super off with only 3 or 4 frames in it.
The 2nd brood box was full in July, it was mostly capped honey, so I moved three full frames of honey up when I added the 3rd deep. So, now, as it sits, there are three deeps with the Flow super
. I guess Iāll wait it out and see, Iām just worried that Iāll screw up and theyāll be left hungry. Youāre right, I can always feed it back to them.
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OK, sorry, I didnāt remember your setup. So to make sure I got it straight, you have 3 deeps for brood, two of which were jam-packed before you added the third? You then put 3 frames of honey from one of the lower deeps into the top brood deep, then put the Flow super back on top?
They will probably still move that honey down from the wax frames and from the Flow super, but I guess you are having a great nectar flow season! If they havenāt moved it by September, I would definitely take the super off and the third deep if it has no brood and isnāt much occupied (i.e. more than 70-80% full of food).
Just the way I would do it, others may have better ideas.
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Correct, the 2nd brood box was so full that they started building comb along the walls. That sounds like a good plan, thank you! The goldenrod is just coming in here so weāll see how much they fill in the next month! Yes, this is my first hive and theyāve really outperformed my expectations!
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Ok so yea got resize figured out so here is what I bought. I thought I was getting bees in my deep box but bees were bees at this point since we do not import. So notice how the bees are hanging out? I figure this doesnāt look right. Well learn that better move add my deep box. Thatās when you all step in and my instructor whom I got the bees from says better do it sooner than later. So to follow are what I did.
