How to balance out the honey supers for winter

[tillie]

One of my hives is five boxes tall- three medium brood boxes, the last with mostly honey and two medium supers above, both filled with honey.  I have another hive that is in a deep 10 frame box with a medium super half filled with honey above it.  It is the least prepared for winter of the hives I've had this year. 

Could I take one of the supers off of the over abundant hive and clear it of bees and move it to the less-prepared hive?  What would be the down-side to doing that?

Linda T in Atlanta

[Ross]

No downside at all.  Go for it. 

[Scadsobees]

I call it the "Robin Hood honey swap".  :-D  Might as well. 

The only downside is the amount of work...and the bees can get a little testy.  But better than losing a hive to starvation while the one next to it has more than enough.