reversing brood boxes

[Ammerbee]

I have two hives with 2 brood boxes...I was advised to reverse the boxes in the spring - does anyone have any advice about this...what's the most advisable time?
thanks

 

[Millet]

WHY..??? .. the bees have made it the way they they need it to be, why throw a spanner in the work's and give them a whole lot of work to do trying to put it back how it was, when the weather warms back up the bees will naturally start building down over as they fill the space above, it seems fairly pointless to me to reverse, leave them alone and let the bees do what is best as they sure do know..

 

[Vortex]

The decision to reverse is made when it's obvious the bees are not moving down. I get a problem with 2 or 3 colonies a year where they refuse to move down.. I've had one swarm because of it. It usually occurs in mid-May. If they're haven't stared using the Brood box by then (I run Brood+half) langstroths I swap the half an brood around. They move up within a few days and I swap them back around about 3 weeks later.
If you're running double brood and need to do a comb change then remove the lower box before the bees move down and put a fresh box of foundation on once the weather warms up. Generally May is a good time but that depends on where you are in the country and the weather.

 

[Finman]

WHY..??? .. the bees have made it the way they they need it to be,..

It is very necessary in two brood system. Many important reasons.

I reverse them when I put a third box to the hive (super).



Best time? It is not calendar issue. It is build up issue. Perhaps bees occupy 1.5 boxes and colony is expanding fast.

One important reason is that the brood combs will be consumed evenly, when their place has been changed.
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[eltalia]

I have two hives with 2 brood boxes...I was advised to reverse the boxes in the
spring - does anyone have any advice about this...what's the most advisable time?
thanks

And the type of box used is?

Bill

 

[Finman]

.
It is same with one box wintered hive. I put second (empty) box under the brood box. Bees go down and the queen lays into lower box. When it it is time to add third box, I reverse brood boxes and third box is a super.When hive has allready honey, or old winter food, bees move stores up to super.

If you add second box over the brood, and weathers are cold, heat escapes up and bees cannot keep brood warm. It is usual that 1/3 out of brood will die in lower box.

 

[Eyeman]

Hi Ammerbee
Take a look at this guide, written by an expert from the UK.
http://www.wbka.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Swarm-Control-Wally-Shaw.pdf

Advice from those not living in the UK, even those living in a different regions of the UK may not be applicable to your management style.
It covers all you need to know, including early season brood manipulation.
Best of luck

 

[Madge]

If the brood nest is in the middle of the two boxes spanning over the divide, then beware that, by swapping them, you've not separated the brood nest into two with an empty space in the middle - particularly early in spring or if the colony hasn't yet built up sufficiently.

 

[enrico]

A simple thought, the brood is built in the centre of the two brood box's, by changing their position top to bottom you are splitting the brood nest. There will be half of it at the very top and half at the very bottom. The theory is that the bees will now join those two halves making the brood nest even larger. An increase in the size of the used nest means more bees. That is the theory, in practice I don't do it.
E

 

[Madge]

... The theory is that the bees will now join those two halves making the brood nest even larger. ...
E

Snap! Yes, except beware doing that at the wrong time - as I said above.

 

[Finman]

A simple thought, the brood is built in the centre of the two brood box's, by changing their position top to bottom you are splitting the brood nest. There will be half of it at the very top and half at the very bottom. The theory is that the bees will now join those two halves making the brood nest even larger. An increase in the size of the used nest means more bees. That is the theory, in practice I don't do it.
E

that is right. But i do it to every hive. It is very usefull when you renew brood combs.

 

[enrico]

Snap! Yes, except beware doing that at the wrong time - as I said above.

Sorry Mellifera, we crossed in the post!!!!!
E