Switched Out a Shallow for a Deep What to do with Frames?

[DayValleyDahlias]

Well, my mentor came over the other day and looked at the hive...She said the bees look like they are doing great. She questioned why I had 2 brood boxes on, I told her I got the info here...anyway...I had put on a shallow super as the bee population was really getting huge...She told me to take off the shallow and put on a deep with empty frames, which I did today...I can't remember her rationalization for it, but I trust her advice, I did shoot her an email today asking her to explain it tome again...

My question now is about the frames that do contain some uncapped honey...Mentor said wrap them in saran and store in a cool place...

What do you all do if you are ever faced with this situation?

[Dr/B]

I'd put them both on, but put the super on the top, making the new empty (brood box) space between the original brood and the honey super.  Give 'em plenty of room.  Whether to add an additional brood vs. shallow super is personal preference.  I've known beekeepers that ONLY used the 1 brood + 1 super combination for bee brood nest.  Other swear by the 2 brood box method.  I use both in my beeyards.  ...........I've never had a bee complain................... :mrgreen:

[DayValleyDahlias]

Thanks for the response...so you say I canput the shallow atop the deep as well, with the drawn out comb and uncapped honey...

[wtiger]

You could just freeze the nectar and save it for when they need it.  Won't it ferment if it's not either cured by the bees or frozen?

[Kathyp]

i use 2 deeps (maybe 3) for brood and shallows for honey.  i'd put the shallow back on top.  they'll either fill it or eat it.  if you don't want to do that, you can just put them in the freezer for later, but you won't be able to interchange them with your deep frames for winter feeding and you probably don't want to add space in the winter.

[Dr/B]

You mention that you have alot of bees in this hive.  I would only do this if this was a very big hive.  If it's only a few frames of honey in this super, I'd pull out a few of the empty frames from the deep and replace with these shorter honey filled frames.  Yes they'll build some burr comb down to complete the rest of the frame, but it would save the honey.  Burr comb doesn't really bother me.  If you talking about a whole super, then I'd either give it to another hive, or try to freeze it.  Not everyone has a freezer big enough for a whole super of honey.

[Cindi]

Sharon, my opinion.  The brood box should contain two deeps, allowing the queen to have LOTS of room to lay, the shallows for honey.  But, there are other members that use a deep and two shallows for the brood chambers, the queen must have lots of room and the bees must also have lots of room to store the nectar, picture how thin nectar is and then how thick honey is. 
That is a lot of evaporation that must take place for the nectar, and it takes room, lots of room.  So many posts on this subject about room for storing nectar.  Have a wonderful day, great life.  Cindi