swapping brood boxes

[broke-t]

Daddy bought a 3 story hive last week.  Two deep brood boxes and a shallow super.  When he checked it before bringing it home, he lifted the honey super and everything looked good.

We gave it a more thourogh checking after we got it home.  The super was mostly capped honey and the top deep chamber was full of mostly capped brood.

However when we got to the lower deep it had nothing in it except bees, empty drawn comb and some undrawn foundation.  We switched places with the two deeps hoping the queen will move up into the empty box now that it is above her. 

My question is how often do y'all rotate the brood boxes if you run more than one?

Thanks Johnny

[Kathyp]

almost never :-).

do a search on here and see if you can find some different ideas.  under most circumstances, i have found swapping boxes to be of little benefit.  sometimes swapping frames is called for.  it doesn't hurt to try it once and see if you can get the bees to work the empty box. 

[jason58104]

In the area I live in, swapping brood boxes is an important and effective means of swarm control.  I would have done the same thing.  Once the honey flow has started however I dont swap them.  That is typically something that I will do 2 times each spring.

[timdalyiii]

I have read in several places (one is below) that you show swap the boxes in the spring.

http://www.bee-commerce.com/download/springStartup.pdf

[Kathyp]

a lot of people do it.  a lot of people used to do it.  managing the brood area by arranging frames makes more sense to me.  it is also usually a faster way to get your bees to move into another box and work it.  less lifting for you.  less disruption (hopefully) for the bees.  sometimes swapping boxes is not a bad idea.  usually you can accomplish what you want without.

[WV Hillbilly]

      I overwinter in double deeps . In the spring about the time dandelion's are
strongly blooming I check my hives & if I find most of the bees are in the top box
& the bottom box mostly empty I reverse them . However , I have been reading
lately that some respected beekeepers don't reverse & don't think it is necessary .
     

[Michael Bush]

I almost never do.  But that doesn't mean it hurt anything if it didn't break up the brood nest it should work fine.