I am a second year bee keeper. I started with 2 hives and 1 hive swarmed twice last year. They came through winter strong and full. I added another box but they did not move from the first brood box. I then reversed the brood boxes, putting the empty one on the bottom, but after12 days they still havent doing anything in the bottom box. Any suggestions.
2 of the 4 hive are making lots of queen cells!
Sounds like you need to make a split, pronto! Here is a very good document on how to do it. I recommend the Modified Snelgrove described on p24, but you should read the whole leaflet. I will also post a great document by the same author about queen cells.
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Thank you for all your help!
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Another thought. If there weren’t any queen cells in the brood box, you could try checker boarding a few frames of brood into the empty box. That helps to encourage the bees to use it. Also, using wax foundation, which has footprint pheromone in it, will also make them start on a new box faster.
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Thank you so much for the advice!!!
You take one empty frame from the 2nd box and exchange it with one full frame from the brood box. Then you skip a frame and take another empty frame and exchange it. You end up with a pattern of full, empty, full, empty, full, empty etc. So if X is full and O is empty, your frame pattern in 8 frame stacked boxes would look like this:
XOXOXOXO
OXOXOXOX
Caveats are that I wouldn’t do it if there are queen cells, you need to split instead. Also, don’t do it unless the hive is very strong. You could also just take 2 frames from the middle of the brood nest (say frames 3 and 5, or 4 and 6, depending on where the nest is) and move those amongst the empty frames in the second box. That is less stressful for the bees, but it isn’t the standard method.
Thank you so much for all the help. I have 1 more question. Ouŕ season in only approximately 4 months long. I was told to take any honey supers off for the season by Augustb15th. How long should i give them to fill the 2nd brood box and still have time to put honey supers on? Or at what point should i remove the 2nd brood box and add a honey super if they are staying in the 1 box? I am so sorry for all the questions! Thanks again for all your advice.
It is not about time, it more about performance. I use the 80% rule. It is time for a new box when:
- Every frame has fully drawn comb, and
- Each frame is 80% full of food or brood, and
- Every frame is covered with bees
If they haven’t done much in the second box by mid August, I would try to condense them down to one box, unless you are expecting a Fall nectar flow. Some areas of the Pacific northwest get quite a good nectar flow late in the season, but I would listen to your local beekeeping colleagues on that one.
Also, if most beekeepers in your area use 2 boxes, I would not put the super on until the second box is full as described above. 
I did ask local beekeepers what they do. Some do 1 brood box and some do 2. I have asked them multiple times but they have not responded. I have been trying to get ahold of them since last fall, so I thank you so much for taking the time to mentor me. I am so appreciative!!!
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Last summer the local bee keeper told me about the 1 or 2 brood boxes, but i havent had any luck speaking with him since last fall.
I know several beekeepers in the northwest, and they all use 2 brood boxes. You have long periods of cold, wet and even snowy (depending on where you are) weather, when the bees can’t forage. If you don’t use 2 boxes, the bees are going to need close monitoring for hive weight, and topping up on their food stores when they get low. If you have been keeping bees for many years, this isn’t a big deal, but if you are new, and want to give your bees the best chance, 2 boxes is the way to go.
You are AMAZING! Thank you so much for all the help!
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