first time i have seen this. i have a colony with 5 medium supers and have 10 frames of pollen in the bottom super still have brood and honey.this was strange to me. any comments would be appreciated
That is where they stockpile pollen for the brood rearing in the late winter before things are blooming.
Here is a link to a Walt Wright article (A Tennessee beekeeper) that may give you some answers.
http://www.beesource.com/point-of-view/walt-wright/pollen-box-overwintering/ (http://www.beesource.com/point-of-view/walt-wright/pollen-box-overwintering/)
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This year I had strong pollen stores in the lowest box in every hive when flowers stopped blooming at the end of July. Plants are rippen and prepare themselves for winter.
When I looked the hives in the middle of September, almost in all hives pollen stores were consumed. Bees rear winter bees with that huge store.
At same time when there is short of pollen the nature and in the hive, it informs the bees that it is Autumn. Stop brood rearing.
When the winter bees have emerged, young bees eate lots of pollen to make themselves ready for wintering.
if you use white combs in the lowest box, bees are not eager to store pollen. So let them be a little bit brown.