Switching from Deeps to Mediums

[Darlene]

I want to change my over-wintered hive from 2 deep boxes to medium boxes.  Spring has just started to spring in my neck of the woods, so I'm thinking that it would be better to convert them before they really get busy.  What is the best and/or easiest method to accomplish this?  (I recall reading how to do this somewhere, but cannot locate the information now.)  Thanks!

[Michael Bush]

First go through the hive and remove any frame that isn't occupied by bees or is empty.  See what's left.  You will probably only have one deep worth of frames that have anything in them.  Remove all the empty frames along with one of the deep boxes.  Now add a medium on top with foundation (or foundationless) or, if you have it drawn comb.  When the queen lays some in the medium, find her and make sure she is in the medium and put an excluder below so she can't move down.  After the brood has emerged below and they have moved up another medium, you should be able to pull the deep off and harvest the honey in it and retire it or cut it down.

If the queen doesn't want to move up, you can cut two frames of brood out and tie them into mediums, or put some mediums in the middle of the deep brood nest.  Either one will get you some brood in a medium frame.  Then put two medium frames of brood and the queen in the medium over the excluder as previously described.

The brute force method is to wait until there's some nectar coming in and do a full cut out.  Cut all the brood out of all the deep frames and tie them into medium frames and put them in the medium boxes.  Then feed like crazy so they can get some stores put away.

[Darlene]

Thanks!  I was thinking of something along those lines, but, was struggling with how to get the queen to move to the mediums.  Also, thank you for all the information you post here and on your website.  REALLY helpful for a beekeeper without a mentor!

[Brian D. Bray]

An alternate method is to place the medium boxes below the deeps and move them up and off the hive as more mediums are added.  Either method will work.