Strengthening a weak colony

[Potlicker1]

Ok I need some top guns to tell me how to successfully strengthen one of my colonies. I currently have 3 and 1 is exploding, the other is doing pretty good and one is far behind. Can I take some frames of brood from my strong hive and help the weak one? And do the bees covering the frame go with it? Hoe msny frames? Also what do I replace with from the strong one? Foundation?Drawn comb?
Any advice will help.   Thanks everyone :?

[KONASDAD]

Capped brood w/ the bees shaken off and added to weak hive is fine. Also helps w/ swarming on hive you removed frames.

[imabkpr]

 Take a frame of brood and bees [without the queen] from the strong, place it in the weak hive.
Put the empty frame from the weak hive in the strong.   Charlie

[Potlicker1]

Ok, I got one saying to leave the bees on and one to shake them off?? Does it matter?

[imabkpr]

 It can be done either way. If I have a very strong colony I take a frame or two of brood and bees [without the queen] and place it in a weaker hive.

Taking the bees with the brood reduces the population of the strong colony and increases the population of the weak colony. It also makes sure  you have enough house bees to keep the brood warm in the event the weak hive was short of bees.   Charlie

[BMAC]

without manipulating the frames, just go out during the middle of the day and swop one hive for the other hive.  What you will do is have all the foragers of the strong colony return to the weak colony.  Thus strengthening it.