Second brood box below or above

[CB008]

Earlier this season I placed an empty BB above the existing one and moved my strongest colony to double brood. it is now going great guns with 16 frames of brood. Thinking afterwards that I should have placed it below, that is what I did with another colony. On checking that colony today, the super is full to bursting, the top BB is heaving and the lower BB untouched.

Does this mean adding above is the recommended way?

 

[Finman]

.
With couple of hives you cannot draw conclusion which is better.
Hives are different and they build up different way.

To enlarge hives in cold spring and in warm summer is too very dfferent things.

It means too, are your brood just emerging in masses when you add room or do bees emerge after a week when you gove more room.

With blind eyes yo may cause big damage to build up, but if you are blind, you will never know.

And about brood amount: some queen lays 20 frames and some only 8 frames. It has nothing to do how you put boxes. Age of queen affects much.

 

[Busybee]

Second brood box

I have always found bees draw out second brood box best when placed above original bee filled box. It is much warmer and easier for bees to draw out. You will often find that comb drawn out in bottom brood box is not fully drawn right down to bottom as it is cooler and bees do not bother carrying on. I also find it best to quickly flash over foundation with heat gun or blow torch which releases oils and draws bees on quicker.