Should I be Concerned?

[NonTypicalCPA]

I peeked into my hive this week with the warmer temps and found my cluster at the top of my two deep hive. There were a lot of bees on top of the frames with some attached to the bottom side of the inner cover. There were frames of sealed honey on both sides of the cluster. Will they move the cluster side to side to access the honey? Is it safe to assume that there is no longer any honey in the lower deep? This is a first year hive. How often should I be checking on them to try to avoid starvation by putting in sugar?

[the doc]

well i am over by you and I have a colony that is strong and has moved up to the top of a 4 medium setup. When we had warm temps about 10 days ago I got in there and placed an empty medium on top and sugar bricks and dry sugar on newspaper. I knocked down the bees off the attic I have and they moved underneath the bricks and newspaper. It is described as the mountain camp method and there is a lot of info here about it. It has saved me both this year and last year.

If you think they could starve then I'd try and get in there on the next warm, windless day

[NonTypicalCPA]

Thanks doc, how did you get them down from the top of the frames? Smoke?

[NonTypicalCPA]

"In my location it seems as soon as it gets really cold they all move to the top, I assume because heat rises and it's warmer there. Mine spend the winter there. "

Above is a quote from Michael Bush in an earlier thread. Is this the case in northern climates? Maybe I don't need to add sugar?