Super frames in a brood box

[Woodland bees]

I know this may be a daft question but...

I have a poly hive that has 2 x brood boxes and 2 x supers. I'm not using a double brood so don't need one brood box, but I could do with another super.

It currently has a brood box, then a super on top, which was over wintered and has a little brood in.

I'm wondering if I could move those super frames to a brood box and put that on the base of the hive, the brood box with the brood frames on top, then supers as normal?

This would mean there would be a 2" bigger gap between the open mesh floor and the bottom of the frames. When I've tried using the double brood the Q has only tended to use the top brood box so I would hope I wouldn't get too much comb in this bigger gap.

Does this sound reasonable or will the world end if I try it?

 

[Poly Hive]

No the world will rotate.

The bees will very likely fill the gap with drone brood so no gain.

If your queen cannot lay up a double brood she is in my book not worth her keeping. I would requeen and buy in a decent one.

PH

 

[jeff33]

As above no, they will draw below to super frames. If you are concerned about brood in the super, put a QX above your brood box at the next inspection making sure that the queen is in the BB. As above, if she struggle feeling up a single bb after that, change her?

 

[Woodland bees]

Many experienced beeks round here don't seem to run double brood, I don't think a double brood is the best option everywhere is it?

As for the Q, she's less than a year old so I'll give her a chance. Other Qs I've had/got don't seem to want to fill a whole double brood but I'm happy with that.

If drone brood is all I've got to worry about then that's fine.

 

[Poly Hive]

The only queens I have experienced which were reluctant to work a double brood were Amm. Are yours very black?

PH

 

[Swarm]

Nothing wrong with a queen in one box.

 

[jeff33]

Indeed but if the box is well managed. Less bees and brood = less honey or less opportunities to split if you want to increase though.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Nothing wrong with a queen in one box.

wish I could convince some of my AMM's that one box is sufficient

 

[Swarm]

What about the doubles Jeff? All the comb usable or chewed up and full of holes?

 

[Poly Hive]

Dr Anderson invented the Glen Hive as there was a need for bigger hives for Amm. My experience though was that one was quite enough esp timber Nat. Oddly though they managed a poly Lang just fine. ???

PH