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APPENDIX A: THE TWO-DEEP SYSTEM <br /> For beginning beekeepers in northern climates, we recommend keeping bees in three deep brood boxes <br /> because it helps ensure the bees have sufficient honey stores to last throughout the long winter. It is entirely <br /> possible to keep colonies in two deep brood boxes, but it involves some different management steps, including <br /> likely having to feed sugar syrup in the fall to prevent starvation during the winter (Table 4). This "2-deep" <br /> system also requires a different amount of equipment (Table 5). <br /> If you are risk-averse, keep your colonies in three deeps while you learn more about the floral resources <br /> around your apiary and while you develop a good sense of what your colony needs to survive winter.After a <br /> couple years of successful beekeeping, you might try keeping bees in two deeps.All management procedures <br /> in this manual can be adapted to colonies kept in two deeps. <br /> The following instructions in this appendix list only the modifications of the three-deep system needed for the <br /> two-deep system. <br /> 2-Deep System 3-Deep System <br /> - Fewer brood boxes to handle for - Helps reduce swarming problems <br /> ne inspections because provides more space for brood <br /> PROS routine <br /> honey for the beekeeper Helps ensure colony has enough honey for <br /> - <br /> - Fewer boxes and frames to purchase winter; more honey for the bees <br /> - Easier to replace old frames <br /> CONS - May need to be fed sugar syrup in the - Heavy to lift the top box at end of the <br /> fall to get to proper wintering weight season; a full deep can weigh up to 90 lb • <br /> Table 4.Advantages and disadvantages of keeping bees in two deep and three deep hives. <br /> 2-deep Method <br /> Additional <br /> Equipment First Year Second <br /> Year <br /> Hive stand 1 1 <br /> Bottom board 1 1 <br /> Deep hive bodies 2 2 <br /> Deep frames 20 20 <br /> Foundation (deep) 20 20 <br /> Inner cover 1 1 <br /> Telescoping cover 1 1 <br /> Queen excluder 1 1 <br /> Moisture board 1 1 <br /> Winter cover 1 1 <br /> Feed pail 1 1 <br /> Hive body for feed pail cover 1 1 <br /> Honey supers 1-5 1-5 <br /> Frames for supers 10-50 10-50411 <br /> Foundation for supers 10-50 10-50 <br /> Table 5. Quantity of hive equipment needed for each colony kept in two deep boxes. <br /> Beekeeping in Northern Climates 68 <br />