Bee's not moving up

[chevydmax04]

approx 7 weeks ago I added a honey super to my hive. It had two deep brood boxes already, no queen excluder. What I have seen is that the bee's are using the honey super but I think they are just partying up there. I open it up and look and there are ton's of bee's spilling over the top. When I pull frames they have not even started to draw them out. The top brood box is loaded with honey and I just read another post I am going to go down tommorrow and pull 4 or 5 full frames and replace with new frames. Is this how I should handle this?

[boones_bee_nectar]

I'm sure you have checked it but is the bottom brood box full of bees, eggs, etc also? If not I would switch the top and the bottom around and let them move up into the "new" top brood box, fill it up before adding the additional super. The honey super you added is a deep also? Hope that helps.

[wcubed]

Keep in mind that the bees are motivated by survival. They didn't hire in to make honey for you. When they have survival in the bag, they can relax and coast. Yours have reached that point. With a deep of honey overhead wintering will not be a problem.

Referred to that concept on another thread - called it complacency. A search on complacent or complacency might pick it up. (not a beekeeping term) Yours is a good example of the condition.

Don't know about the recommended fix - have not tried it, but am sceptical. Your bees should be coming up on brood nest expansion to rear young bees for wintering, but that would typically be done in the lower deep. Taking away some of their overhead honey might motivate overhead storing, but I wouldn't bet on it exceeding the existing limits.

Walt

[BEES4U]

When I pull frames they have not even started to draw them out.
You might "checkerboard' the super of foundation
Go into the brood nest and se if you can get a shake of nectar.
No shake = no drawing out of foundation
Ernie

[chevydmax04]

I have read that if they get into a situation like they can swarm, should I open it up and drop another deep in between the lower brood box and the upper brood box that is currently full of honey? Or will they move honey up into the upper honey super and make room in the upper brood box for more young.

[boones_bee_nectar]

I have read that if they get into a situation like they can swarm, should I open it up and drop another deep in between the lower brood box and the upper brood box that is currently full of honey? Or will they move honey up into the upper honey super and make room in the upper brood box for more young.

If the lower brood box doesn't have anything or much of anything in it, in my opinion there is no need putting anything between the current two deeps. If the top is full of honey, there should be plenty of larvae in the bottom where the queen is laying that is if she is actually down there. If there is nothing in the bottom deep right now and you add one between the two, they aren't going to move down into that one either. I think that if both of them are packed full of bees and activity, then you would be successful putting on between the two.