When to add 2nd brood chamber?

[BEE C]

Ok the rookie has a question...I have two brood boxes with nine frames and a frame feeder.  six, soon to be seven frames are being capped at a fast rate as we speak.  My book says 6 to 7 capped frames and add a 2nd brood box.  My instructor says wait until 8 frames are capped.  Question...should I add a 2nd brood chamber (I'm using deeps) Now or wait, until when?  What do you all do with the frame feeder (personally I'd like to ditch it, but its all I have, and I think they are using it (empty every three days)?  Do you leave it down below or move it up?  Should I move some brood frames up as well? I hived on april 18th, my queens are carniolans.  I don't want to chill the brood, but I want to stay on top of swarming impulse.  Any Northern latitude beekers advice please?  Our weather is no lower than 48 degrees with day highs of 70 some days, average 60.  Thanks.

[Jerrymac]

Toss the feeder. But if you feel you must keep it move it up so you don't have to pull the boxes apart to check/fill it. I have always heard 70% is when you put on another box. 80% or 90% even is probably fine as long as you get it before it is needed. Better early than late I guess.

[BEE C]

Thanks, I think I might go add a 2nd now...the feeder frames are so annoying, I am building a hive top feeder, but until its ready I might just use it in the top.

[Finsky]

You are in Canda and you have spring there? Are maples of dandelions frowering there?  Here first willows burst into flower last day of April.

To put second box in sring depends when first bees emerge, how much and how crowdy is hive. How many brood frames you have, it means nothing if they have not bees more. It depends how fast new bees are emerging.

However I enlarge in spring so that I put second and third  box lowest. Night are cold. Bees destroy much brood if tey are not able to keep them warm.

[BEE C]

Thanks finsky,  there are dandilions, maples, wild cherries blooming now.  I just thought to keep the feeder going because they are using it up in three days.  I never thought to put the new brood box on top, sounds like a good idea!  It did seem cold some nights to be adding a second box.  Switching positions would solve that.  I work on a commercial apiary during the day and we have been adding boxes on top of overwintered brood boxes, but I know thats different than my situation.  My bees are declining in number probably because the new bees are not emerged yet, and their from packages.  Yet they still cover six frames completely during colder/wetter days when most? stay at home.  I estimate that two more weeks and the new bees will mostly bee emerging?  My hives have each 6 frames of brood and pollen mostly capped (I just checked).  Should I wait? Until just before the new bees emerge.?