Will the queen move down or what ?

[Scottsman]

First the configuration: One 8 frame deep on the bottom, two Medium super.All are small cell drawn comb.

In this is the configuration they went into winter, top box filled with honey, middle box mostly honey some brood in center. Bottom deep had two outer frames of honey, next two frames honey and pollen, very little brood, remaining frames brood in all stages.

Today the top box contains brood in the center four frames with honey and pollen in the two outer frames, either side. There is some residual honey and pollen in the middle box, some brood but mostly empty comb directly below the brood nest. The bottom deep is completely empty.

There are more than enough bees to be considered a strong hive.All the frames in both top supers are chocked full of bees covering all frames.

The question: Will they move the brood nest down into the deep as they store honey or will they simply fill the bottom super with honey ?

[sonnypemberton]

While I wouldnt change the configuration of the broodnest (the 2 med boxes), I would move the empty deep above the 2 to work into... I have personally had success doing that in the spring, but only when queen was ALL the way at the top - as you describe.


Some will say this isnt necessary and in fact Walt Wright says for our area, it may actually slow the hive's progress:

http://www.beesource.com/point-of-vi...for-all-areas/

Solomon Parker would agree (from his website at least) and not change configuration at all.

http://parkerfarms.biz/unnecessary.html

[psfred]

The bees will move down, they do in their natural habitat, cavities in trees and such. The bees move up and down the comb in the wild, storing honey at the top when there is surplus, moving the brood down. In 8 frame equipment, they will easily fill that deep and two mediums with brood and pollen when things get going in the spring.

Putting the empty bottom box on top (called reversing) is one way to supress swarming, with various results.

Peter

[Michael Bush]

Honey gets put overhead. If that fills up it pushes the queen down. If you put more empty boxes on, it may not push the queen down. If the bottom box is empty, you can put it on top if you like but it may end up full of honey too... Honey does not generally get stored in the bottom.

[Scottsman]

Thanks you for the replies.