Shape of the nest

[Rover Girl]

Busy year - both hives demareed, one twice. Early this am our prolific queen (the 2 x demareed) was off - but only got as far as the entrance - clipped wandering around on the ground...and chickens still in their coop!
It's under control this year at least!
Question really is about the shape of the nest - this Q likes going up, so we have her on brood and a half, which seems to work, but she doesn't go out wide - end frames front and back are foundation, nothing drawn.
Is there anything we can do to encourage her (or her successor) to use the whole box, or is this just how they like it?

 

[Ben90]

Move the frames of foundation farther into the box, but be careful not to split the brood too much.

 

[oliver90owner]

If you continually give them space to go upwards, they will ignore the outer frames. They would simply say thanks, it is warmer with a nearer spherical nest. Usually, the outer frames get filled with honey and maybe only brooded on the inner side at most - too cold any closer to the hive wall. Heat generally rises within the nest, so it is warmest in the centre and above.

But against forcing them to go outwards it is better to 'encourage' them to use the space - as Ben suggests. It is a bit late now, as they have already spiralled upwards or 'chimneyed' the brood nest.

Question might be how do you do a demaree with different size boxes? Much easier with two deeps?

 

[Teemore]

If you have demaree'd already, do you have a stock of drawn comb to hand which you could add in place of the outer frames of foundation? This will give the colony greater lateral space to brood in and this in itself might cut down on the urge to swarm.

If you "restrict" a colony to a single brood box a little longer, they will be more inclined to draw out all the frames, particularly if there is a nectar flow on.