To Reverse or Not

[cbarton]

I've got 2 questions.  The first is  about reversing hive boxes. Experienced beekeepers in my area (central virginia) recommend reversing the hives, so that there is "space" for the brood to grow as the weather warms and the hive's activity picks up. It seems to me that this strategy assumes that the most of hive is has moved itself during the winter up into the upper box of the hive.  I opened up my hive today and found that the majority of the bees is in the lower box, and that the upper still has 3-4 frames of honey. I checked the bottom of all of the frames in both the upper and lower boxes and it doesn't look like there are any queen cells developing.

I'm wondering if I should reverse  the boxes, or simply make some more room in the upper box, by moving some of the frames of honey down into the lower box and some of the open frames up into upper box?   

After opening up the hive I took a good look around and notice that there were a bunch (50-80) of dead bees in front of the hive.  The hive is set on a stand off the ground and there don't appear to be any signs that an animal like a skunk has been trying to get into the hive. Is this something to worry about?
Thanks for your advice. 

[AndersMNelson]

I noticed about the same amount of dead bees outside my hive, but I'm not worrying.  The hive looked very healthy.

[Michael Bush]

>It seems to me that this strategy assumes that the most of hive is has moved itself during the winter up into the upper box of the hive.

Actually I think the main purpose of the strategy is to leave the brood nest in such a total disarray by splitting it that the bees don't swarm.

>I'm wondering if I should reverse  the boxes, or simply make some more room in the upper box, by moving some of the frames of honey down into the lower box and some of the open frames up into upper box?

Here's my opinion on reversing: http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslazy.htm#stopswitching

>After opening up the hive I took a good look around and notice that there were a bunch (50-80) of dead bees in front of the hive.

Scattered?  Dry?  Wet?  In a pile?  Scattered wouldn't worry me too much.  A soggy pile would be indicative of a skunk.  They suck the juice out of them and then spit them out.

[cbarton]

Thanks for the info and url cite.  The dead bees are scattered over an area of about 2 square feet and it doesn't look like these  bees were victims of an animal like a skunk or some other rodent.  I understand your points about reversing, but do wonder it might be worth moving open frames up into the upper box?
Thanks
 

[Michael Bush]

>but do wonder it might be worth moving open frames up into the upper box?

I think you need the open frames in the brood nest or at least next to it for room to expand.  Alternating capped and empty above wouldn't hurt either.