Moving from brood and a half to double brood

[DRam]

Hi,

I have a couple of hives on brood and a half, and I would like to move them to double brood. I am guessing that this is best done next spring once the bees start flying again.

How is this best done, do I...

1. Add a brood box of foundation below the brood and a half and move the QE below the 1/2 brood box.

2. Add a brood box of foundation between the current brood box and 1/2 brood and move the QE below the 1/2 brood box.

3. Move the shallow frames out of the 1/2 and into the new brood box (above or below the current brood box) and slowly replace the frames with full size frames.

or is there another better method?

Thanks in advance for advice offered,

 

[ericbeaumont]

move them to double brood

Take off the half box in spring when all is green and lovely and bees are expanding. Remove about half the frames from the new BB and put that box on top of the current BB. Shake all the bees into the void, including those on the super walls and add the rest of the BB frames, closing them up tight; add a QX, then the super, and so on.

Is the half on top? You could save the spring work by nadiring the super now; by early next year it will be empty and can be removed and put above the 2 BBs and QX. What is in it today?

Two reasons to put BB foundation above a full box: first is that rising nest heat will give the 35C needed for comb production; secondly, bees will draw combs right to the frame bottom, which is unlikely to be achieved were the foundation put under the current BB and in the cool zone next to the OMF.

Good decision to double brood.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

put the QX between the brood and the shallow in early spring, once the brood has emerged from the shallow, put the new deep above the existing brood and either use the old 'half' as the first super, or, if it's been heavily brooded and past its best, get rid of the old frames and replace with new shallow frames.

 

[DRam]

Thank you both for your replies, I will nadir shortly and take your advice regarding adding the new BB above the current one.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Take off the half box in spring when all is green and lovely and bees are expanding. Remove about half the frames from the new BB and put that box on top of the current BB. Shake all the bees into the void, including those on the super walls and add the rest of the BB frames, closing them up tight; add a QX, then the super, and so on.

Is the half on top? You could save the spring work by nadiring the super now; by early next year it will be empty and can be removed and put above the 2 BBs and QX. What is in it today?

Two reasons to put BB foundation above a full box: first is that rising nest heat will give the 35C needed for comb production; secondly, bees will draw combs right to the frame bottom, which is unlikely to be achieved were the foundation put under the current BB and in the cool zone next to the OMF.

Good decision to double brood.

perfect this is how I do it double brood box always goes above with either pulling (min )two frames of brood into the second box or sharing brood frames between both flanked by foundation or comb then a week/ 10 days later go in and manipulate again