Deciding on an 8 frame vs 10 frame beehive is one of these choices that'll influence your back and your bees regarding as long because you keep all of them. It's the classic beekeeping fork in the road. Most people begin looking in the standard 10-frame setup because that's what's been "normal" for over the hundred years, but the 8-frame choice has been making huge waves recently for a few very useful reasons.
In case you ask 10 beekeepers which one is better, you'll most likely get twelve various answers. But honestly, it usually boils down to two things: how very much you can lift and how you want your bees to control their own heat throughout the wintertime. Let's break up the particular pros and negatives without making it sound like an uninteresting textbook.
Let's talk about the weight
I'm going to be blunt here—honey is heavy. Such as, really heavy. When you're looking from an 8 frame vs 10 frame beehive , the physical weight is the particular biggest deal-breaker for most people.
A 10-frame deep box complete of honey plus bees can easily best 80 or 90 pounds. Even a 10-frame medium super, which is what a lot of people use for sweetie storage, can hit 60 pounds. In the event that you're lifting these boxes all day within the hot sunlight when you wear a dense bee suit, your back is going to feel it.
Switching to an 8-frame program drops that excess weight significantly. An 8-frame deep usually weighs about 15-20% much less than its 10-frame cousin. That might not really sound like a ton on paper, yet when you're leaning over a beehive stand and trying to be gentle so that you don't squish the queen, those extra 15 pounds create a massive difference. If you have any back issues, or if a person just don't desire to treat beekeeping like a heavy-duty CrossFit session, the particular 8-frame is probably your best friend.
Do the bees actually care?
It's simple to get caught up in what's easier for us , but we need to think about the bees too. Interestingly, numerous beekeepers argue that will the 8-frame setup actually mimics a hollow tree more closely than the usual 10-frame wide box does.
In the wild, honeybees tend to prefer tall, narrow cavities. When they're in an 8-frame hive, they tend to go upward more naturally. In a 10-frame hive, you'll sometimes see what's called the "chimney effect. " This is how the particular bees stay right in the middle six or 7 frames and disregard the outer two frames on each aspect. They just don't like moving flat as much since they like moving vertically.
By using an 8-frame setup, you're basically forcing them to make use of the entire room more proficiently. They fill up out the structures all the way to the edges because there isn't that will "dead space" on the far edges. This can end up being a huge advantage when it comes to overwintering.
Overwintering and temperature retention
Talking about winter, the 8 frame vs 10 frame beehive debate gets actually interesting when the temperature drops. Bees stay warm by forming a bunch and vibrating their particular wing muscles. This cluster is roughly spherical.
In a narrower 8-frame box, the bunch is closer in order to the side wall space. This makes it easier for the particular bees to manage the particular internal temperature of the hive. Since there's less "empty" atmosphere to heat up for the margins, the colony can usually stay warmer with less effort.
On the flip side, some beekeepers in very cold climates choose the 10-frame hive since it allows for more food storage. A person can pack these extra two frames with honey, offering the bees the bigger "pantry" to get through a long, brutal winter. However, when the bees can't reach that baby because it's as well far aside associated with the cluster, it doesn't do all of them much good anyway.
Products compatibility and parts
This is usually where the 10-frame hive wins fingers down. Because it's been the sector standard for so long, 10-frame products is everywhere. If you want a new underside board, a queen excluder, or the specialized feeder in a hurry, your own local farm supply store is almost guaranteed to have this in 10-frame size.
With an 8-frame hive, a person have to end up being a bit more intentional. While almost every major beekeeping catalog sells 8-frame gear now, it's not always seated on the rack at the shop straight down the road. Also, you cannot mix and fit. You can't put an 8-frame sweetie super on the 10-frame brood box. It just won't suit, and you'll finish up with the mess of "burr comb" and extremely angry bees.
When you decide in order to go with 8-frame gear, you're investing that ecosystem. You'll need to make sure your inner covers, outer covers, and hive holds are all sized correctly. It's not really a huge hurdle, but it's some thing to keep in mind before you click "buy. "
Space and the danger of swarming
One of the downsides from the 8-frame hive is it floods up faster. Considering that there are two fewer frames for each box, the queen can run away of "laying room" more quickly compared to she would inside a 10-frame deep.
When the hive feels filled, the bees start considering swarming. Excitedly pushing is natural, but like a beekeeper, you usually wish to prevent it so that you don't lose half your own colony (and your own honey crop) in order to the neighbor's maple tree.
If you operate 8-frame equipment, a person have to remain on top of your own hive inspections. A person might need to include a second or even third brood container sooner than you would certainly with a 10-frame setup. Some beekeepers who use 8-frame gear actually use three medium containers as their "brood chamber" instead associated with two deeps, just to give the particular queen plenty of room while maintaining the individual containers light and manageable.
Which one particular if you undertake?
So, where does that will creates in the particular 8 frame vs 10 frame beehive standoff? This really comes lower to your individual scenario.
Move with a 10-frame hive if: * You are physically strong and don't mind lifting heavy loads. * You want the particular maximum amount associated with honey storage per box. * You wish to be able to find parts and components easily at any kind of store. * You live in a good area with incredibly long winters and want those extra two frames of honey "insurance. "
Go with an 8-frame hive if: * A person want to save your as well as prefer lighter boxes. * You're a smaller-framed person or getting older and desire to keep beekeeping for decades. * You like the particular idea of the narrower hive that will mimics a bee's natural habitat. * You don't thoughts checking your hives a bit even more frequently to handle space.
All in all, the particular bees don't caution all that very much about the brand name of the box or even the exact size of the wooden. They'll make honey within a cardboard box in case you let them. The 8 frame vs 10 frame beehive option is mostly about making the pastime sustainable for you .
In case you're still on the fence, go to a local beekeeping meetup and enquire in order to lift an empty 10-frame deep vs an 8-frame deep. Then imagine that box is three times heavier and protected in sticky propolis and buzzing bees. Your gut (and your spine) will usually provide you with the reply right then plus there.
There's no "wrong" choice here, just the choice that suit syour lifestyle. Once a person choose a lane, stick with it so your equipment stays interchangeable, and enjoy the ride. Beekeeping is definitely a blast regardless of how a lot of frames you're carrying around!