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Answers to all those questions should contain phrases like "it depends", "often times" and "usually". Lol.
The answers above are generally correct, but often times if the brood nest is plugged, it is with nectar, which in the case of swarming, will be dried down by the time the new queen is ready to lay, which can be consolidated as its volume shrinks, leaving room. Feeding new brood then frees up more room.
I have had queens climb thru 2 or more boxes of honey to lay drone brood in a frame of foundationless I was hoping to use as comb honey, and I have had them stay low.
I had a hive this year that was split because of swarm cells just at the peak of the nectar flow that filled the entire hive with honey waiting for the new queen. Placed a super of foundation only on top, and within 7 days drew the entire super of comb and stuffed it with honey I presume moved out of the nest to make room for brood.
Usually in the case you describe, the best course I would think would be to extract a box or 2, if practical, and put them back on the hive. Replacement whether on top or in the middle of the stack is also a subject that can be debated at length with varying results and tendencies.
The answers above are generally correct, but often times if the brood nest is plugged, it is with nectar, which in the case of swarming, will be dried down by the time the new queen is ready to lay, which can be consolidated as its volume shrinks, leaving room. Feeding new brood then frees up more room.
I have had queens climb thru 2 or more boxes of honey to lay drone brood in a frame of foundationless I was hoping to use as comb honey, and I have had them stay low.
I had a hive this year that was split because of swarm cells just at the peak of the nectar flow that filled the entire hive with honey waiting for the new queen. Placed a super of foundation only on top, and within 7 days drew the entire super of comb and stuffed it with honey I presume moved out of the nest to make room for brood.
Usually in the case you describe, the best course I would think would be to extract a box or 2, if practical, and put them back on the hive. Replacement whether on top or in the middle of the stack is also a subject that can be debated at length with varying results and tendencies.
