Wondering about winter space needs

[TechBee]

Bee friends:

I posted earlier about my bees not drawing out comb in the lower deep box. So basically I don't have anything going on in there, except bees hanging out, buzzing around etc. They aren't interested in drawing out comb.

Now I'm wondering about preparing for Winter. While they have been working hard to fill a medium honey super (its about half way filled), I'm resigned to the fact that I probably shouldn't think of harvesting it this year, as they wouldn't have anything to live off during the winter. I'd like to do a mite treatment and start feeding them soon.

So, here's what I'm thinking:
1. Take out the lower deep with the intention to put it back in next year;

2. Remove the queen excluder so that my honey super becomes a place for winter stores and possible new brood if the queen goes up there;

3. Put my hive top feeder on top of that;

4. Pick a timeframe for some Miteaway II.

What do you think? Will I cause a space crunch if I remove the empty deep?

[naturebee]

If it were me, although I do not use treatments, if I did, I would scrap any ideas of treating for this season. I would suggest that treatment should have been done in July/August to be effective. And if the bees made it this far without dying, they likley have weathered the mites fine for this season.

Your plan basically sounds good.
Winter them in the top deep and the super.
I would however, after the season is over, check to make sure that the cluster can go from one honey frame to the next without traveling over any empty comb, shift frames if need be to accomplish this.

Also, in smaller colonies, the cluster tends to hug the south side. So watch for this come February, as you may need to shift stores a bit to prevent isolation starvation.

Joe