manipulating frames

[trapperbob]

 I was just wondering if moving brood frames full of brood from the top large brood box to the bottom brood box so as to make ten frames of brood in the bottom would hurt the hive or help or just how would this effect the hive any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

[imabkpr]

I only use 9 frames in my brood chambers and honey supers. I let the bees [to a point] run the hive. After the swarming season unless there is something out of the norm happening at the front entrance I don't get into the hive till after the first honey pull. Charlie

[JP]

Not sure what you are trying to accomplish by doing that Charlie, I like two deeps as my brood chamber. I don't see how that would hurt anything though seeing that that frame would be directly below the top one which has brood in it I will assume, the bees will tend to that frame you move down as well. Just be careful when you move it that you don't squoosh any bees and look for the queen.

[Brian D. Bray]

Putting 10 full frames of brood in 1 box is asking for problems.  The outer frames on each side are used as food stores for the brood chamber and those frames are also not as densely populated as the other frames.  You run the risk of inducing chillbrood.  It is much better to run 2 boxes of brood with the outer 1-2 frames on each side dedicated to food stores.  You get more bees being raised, which means more bees to forage, and use the natural tendency of the bees to cluster more toward the center of the hive.

[doak]

I have read a lot of things about frame manipulation.
I don't think it is worth the time.
Here's why.
The bees build the brood nest to the size and shape that suits the needs of the colony.
The only thing I do is awitch hive bodies,( when needed), bottom to top, top to bottom.
Once or twice in spring as needed.
The more you go in and move established brood framed around the more you disrupting the process of colony growth.
Who moves them around in there natural habitat?

One other "BIG" factor, the more you go into the brood, the more chance on killing the Queen,"accidently".
Disruption spells setback.
doak

[Michael Bush]

The bees put things where they put them for a reason.  Odds are you won't do any harm if all the brood is together when you get done, but unless you have a reason for doing it, I'd leave it alone.

[trapperbob]

 Thanks everyone I was just curios so that pretty well answers everything.

[Understudy]

Bees in the wild and in brood boxes tend to put honey and pollen on the outer walls. One reason I can hypothosise is that it acts as an insulating barrier. To help with regulating the temprature of the hive. Yes, the bees do that but when you have walls around you it is easier to maintain the higher tempratures bees need for brood.  And it requires less bees to do it. The walls of a brood box can also be insulators but they are not as efficent as the bees would like. So if you do all brood in a box. Eventually the bees will turn the outer frames into honey and pollen.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

[Scott Derrick]

I am slowly but surely taking MB's approach to beekeeping. I am begging the bees to teach me how they want to be kept and I am taking note of my mistakes. They let me know about them fairly quickly.

[Michael Bush]

>They let me know about them fairly quickly.

"As I grew in experience I learned to go more to the bee for my information. I learned that should I ask a dozen men a question I might get a dozen different answers, while if I asked the bees a question I got just one answer, and that the correct one. No, they never gave me a five to four Supreme Court decision but their decision is always unanimous." --Jay Smith, Better Queens

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesbetterqueens.htm#Beginning%20the%20Study%20of%20Bees