I am fairly new to bee keeping. I live in the Pacific Northwest where it is wet and cold. I had 2 hives last summer. I had 1 hive swarm twice, which I captured and now have 4 hives. They came thru winter very healthy!!!
My question is should I add another brood box now. It is mid April and the nights are still in the 30’s, days in 45-60’s. The si gle brood box is very full. I want to expand them but I am worried about the cold.
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I use a simple rule during nectar flows (late winter/early spring etc). Weather doesn’t come into it at all! 
If the existing box(es) is at least 80% fully drawn comb, 80% full of food or brood and completely covered with bees, they get another box. Using that rule, you know that you have enough bees to use, defend and heat the new space, and you know that they will use it, as they are running out of space in the current box.
Hope that helps! 
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That helps a lot! Thank you so much!!!
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This time of year, when temperatures aren’t perfect for bees, hives can nonetheless be progressing rapidly. The beekeeper doesn’t want to stimulate swarming by not giving them adequate room nor does he/she want to chill the brood area by giving them too much room…a conundrum.
In this case I will, for lack of better wording, “under-super” the brood box. By that I mean, placing the second newly added brood box under the brood box with all of the bees rather than in the top position.
This management technique has all sorts of benefits in my climate of cooler nights and unpredictable spring conditions.
In 10 days or so, I reverse the brood boxes. During that 10 days, the queen has started laying below somewhat so when that lower box is placed in the top position, the brood area explodes…the bees have prepped in those 10 days a large area for her which now is in the warmest position in the hive.
You’ve killed 2 birds with 1 stone, prevented swarming and prevented chilling the brood.
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It is called “nadiring”
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