Double Deep Brood Box Reversal

[HBBF]

Okay so this is the start of my second spring with my first two colonies, first spring of ever having established colonies. I use a double deep brood box setup and thought I understood that for an easy attempt at swarm prevention you are suppose to reverse boxes and that it is unusual for the queen to move downward to lay more eggs. Well today I set out to do the reversal and both my deeps are packed full of bees (and I mean full) with the top one being a little heavier with nectar and pollen. I reversed them still but didnt really feel that I was doing any justice. And for a side note, there were no queen cells on the bottom of any frames. Im just hoping that I didnt do more harm than good....

Anybody have any reassurance that Im okay still!!!

[lakebilly]

This is only start of my third yr....so...I don't think it could hurt to add another super. if you have that many bees, I would drop a deep on them, and bee ready to put a couple of mediums on before dandilion flow. I am not sure you can have too much room, other than drafty. I wouldn't want to have not enough room. You could PM Michael Palmer, or M. Bush. Seems to me like your gonna have a monster colony. happy trails. LB

[HBBF]

Thanks lakebilly. I have actually added medium supers about three days ago. If I put a third deep on, will they use it for brood or honey though. We are actually right in the middle of our dandelion flow!!!!

[RayMarler]

I think you did just right. Reverse to put heaviest box on bottom then add a couple supers, you added 3. Perfect, maybe you'll get some dandelion honey, wouldn't that be a kick!?

[John V]

I never understood why some sources recommend hive body reversal. I'm new and by no means an expert but here is my newest conclusion and reasoning behind it. Please help me understand, but if the top is mostly full with the bottom mostly empty, why not just move the queen down? Then she would have PLENTY of room to lay in the empty comb. If you reverse, then the full deep would be on bottom with the queen as well (which is where I understand you want her), and the deep above would be empty just encouraging her to move back up. Am I out of line or does this make any sense at all? Perhaps this is why a few think reversal is not a great idea. But like I said, I'm still learning as well.

Later, John

[Joseph Clemens]

If you like to play with your bees (and honestly, many of us keep bees so we can also play with them), I think musical combs/musical supers can be both entertaining and educational. Here in Tucson where the days are in the 90sF and the nights in the 50sF, maintaining the integrity of the brood nest isn't much of a problem (if there are enough nurse bees - they will find and care for isolated sections of brood), most brood that gets separated from the nest will be just fine. Anyway, soon the entire hive will be filled with bees, brood, nectar, honey, and pollen.

Either way, reverse them, don't reverse them, the bees will still get along. If you haven't reversed them, I'd go ahead and reverse them (see what happens). Don't forget to keep a close eye out to see everything that happens. If you've already seen what happens when they're reversed, perhaps leave them, as is, and watch closely to see how that works out.

[John V]

Either way, reverse them, don't reverse them, the bees will still get along. If you haven't reversed them, I'd go ahead and reverse them (see what happens). Don't forget to keep a close eye out to see everything that happens. If you've already seen what happens when they're reversed, perhaps leave them, as is, and watch closely to see how that works out.

So, I think you're saying to make this a learning experience.

Thanks, John

[Joseph Clemens]

Precisely, John V,
Most things done in beekeeping are simply part of the art. Many are regional, they work one way in one region/season, and differently in different regions and in different circumstances. If you're wondering what reversing double brood supers accomplishes, the best way is to give it a try and find out. Of course, how it works the first time you try it may not be the same way it works the next time - many variables are always at work in the dynamic environment of a beehive.

[RayMarler]

Yep, so much of beekeeping management is an art for your particular location and what you want or expect from your beehives. Reversing and adding supers works in areas of good flows because the honey on the bottom is honey in the broodnest and bees don't like that, they'll get busy moving it up above the brood and at the same time turning it into brood. This gets the brood expanding down and honey being stored above. It works well in the week before a good flow. A lot of it is timing for flows and strength of hive at the time. It's not good in all areas or in all times to do. Give it a try and see how it works in your area with your hives and take note and compare to those times or hives that you don't do it to.