[clayj]

I have only one beehive which was started from a package on 4/27/14. I've inspected every week to learn as much as possible and keep an eye on things. I fed 1:1 syrup from the beginning and the second deep box has been on for about a month. Soon after the second box was added, the bees were making quick work of drawing out foundation. Eggs were being laid in the top box, I thought the hive was doing great. The next week though, I noticed the bottom box was becoming bound by "honey". The problem persisted for another week and even worsened. So, I stopped feeding and noticed throughout the following weeks that the honey bound issues were resolving/resolved.

Later, maybe the next week, I noticed the bottom box filling up with pollen. I just inspected this afternoon and more frames are pollen bound. The upper box is looking fantastic, much like the bottom box looked before I added the second deep. I was hoping to add honey supers soon, but I need to know what to do. There are some eggs in the bottom box and other bees in various stages of development, but really, it's mostly pollen.

Do I interfere or leave it alone? Thanks in advance for your advice!

 

[Bees In Miami]

If the second deep is nearly full, add another box. They'll either work it, or not.

 

[kenargo]

Bee keeping is an ever learning experience and just when you think you have it all figured out the girls do something like filling one box with food and lay mostly in the other.

It doesn't sound like there is anything to be concerned about as long as there is space for the queen to lay; the bees will move things around as long as there is space.

It the population is sufficient (aka, 6-7 frames full of bees per box), feel free to add another box. You can add it early even still and the bees may not be in a hurry to move into it but they will sooner or later. When I know I can't get to a hive for a few weeks I routinely add an extra box; it really (IMO) doesn't hurt to have extra space but it does if there isn't enough space.

 

[Slow Drone]

I agree with adding another box. Pollen is a good thing, in a week or so the bees will resolve it. That hive will have good healthy bees that should winter quit well for you. More pollen makes more bees!

 

[Mr.Beeman]

Bees are programmed to store, store, store. That's pretty much all they do. If they have a source (such as sugar syrup) they will store that everywhere as you now know.
The bees will work it out but it will come at a cost. The population will not grow as fast as it should because the queen can only lay in empty cells.
If it were me, I'd switch the supers around (top to bottom) and add a honey super.
I only feed if I HAVE to for survival of the colony. Feral bees do not get any assistance and do quite well. My feral stock far out performs my packages every time.

 

[agastache]

not to hijack the thread, but when you say switch the supers, do you mean supers or brood boxes? I have a big colony that has filled the bottom broad box with honey and pollen and is primarily raising brood in the upper of two brood boxes. if reversing the brood boxes at this time of year is OK, I might just be able to lift the full currently-bottom one on top of the less full currently-top one I have no idea why they would want to fill the bottom, as they have plenty of room in supers above the 2nd brood box

 

[Mr.Beeman]

Typically, a hive will store it's brood in the lower portion of the brood chamber (or supers) and store capped honey on top. Sometimes however, they don't get the memo and flip flop things. Bees seem to know how to get things done for the most part.
I've performed a lot of feral bee removals and all of them have built the hive like it is suppposed to be. Maybe the "farm raised" bees are lacking the instinct to build correctly? I do know that the feral stock far out performs my packaged bees.
To answer your question agastache, I would switch them around.

 

[clayj]

Update! I did indeed switch the deeps top to bottom. After the switcharoo, the pollen box was on top and healthy brood nest, bottom. I also added a med. honey super at the same time.

Fast forward a couple weeks. Bees didn't touch honey super and bottom box filling with pollen. Holy crap! Now both deeps have tons of pollen and not a lot of room for laying.

New issue: bees have always been calm, but today, boy were they crazy. They were all over me and I did not find my queen (marked green) and instead, many active supersedure cells...some capped some open enough to see larva and LOTS of jelly.

Is the pollen stock related to hive requeening? I don't think they swarmed off with my green queen, but it's a possibility. After reading Walt's piece on Supercedure VS Swarm cells, I'm leaning toward supercedure.

I plan to leave it be for three weeks or so. Please advise.