# When to add a second hive deep



## 3gooddogs (Dec 1, 2007)

The plan is to add a second hive deep body to the hives this week. Almost all of the frames are drawn out on the first deep. They were building comb on the inner cover. 
When interleafing the frames from the first and second box, is it sealed brood, half sealed, half open or does it really matter? 
Nik


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## Chef Isaac (Jul 26, 2004)

Nik:

I always make sure that there is something in each frame before I add a second deep. This is so that the bees will actually do something with the outside frames rather then shooting up and ignoring the outside frame. The usually will the outter frames with honey and pollen which is good cause they can use that in the winter time. You will want your second deep on a few weeks before the blackberry flow. 

Now, if you are feeding, that is another story. I would still wait to make sure something is in each frame and then add the second deep and continue to feed.


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## aircooled (Jan 20, 2008)

*I think I did mine too early*

I actually added a deep yesterday and I think I might have done it a bit too early. I am on starter strips, and all of the combs has been built on, but not all the way down to the bottom of the frame... I got nervous that they woldn't have enough room...

I am figuring that I will leave them alone for a few weeks, then once the top box is completely drawn out, if they still haven't completed some of the bottoms, can I just reverse the boxes?

They take longer than I thought they would to get comb drawn out... but then again, I have a patience problem.

-mike


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## Veracity (May 3, 2008)

Chef Isaac said:


> Nik:
> 
> I always make sure that there is something in each frame before I add a second deep. This is so that the bees will actually do something with the outside frames rather then shooting up and ignoring the outside frame. The usually will the outter frames with honey and pollen which is good cause they can use that in the winter time. You will want your second deep on a few weeks before the blackberry flow.
> 
> Now, if you are feeding, that is another story. I would still wait to make sure something is in each frame and then add the second deep and continue to feed.


Can you rotate the inner frames with brood to the empty outer frames? I did this on one of my hives, I will not check results until possibly this weekend.


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## Chef Isaac (Jul 26, 2004)

You just have to be careful when rotating frames. Make sure not to break up the brood nest as our weather has been somewhat cold.


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## 3gooddogs (Dec 1, 2007)

*Rotating frames*

I have been manipulating the frames a bit. I think I got really lucky when I placed an empty foundation frame in the 4th frame position (I have 11 frames) and two days later discovered that they had drawn it out totaly and she had laied it up! I thought about it possibly breaking up the brood but it did not. 
Yes I am still feeding.


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## Beacon Woods (Aug 2, 2006)

I put the second deep on after 6-7 frames have been drawn out. Then after 2-3 weeks I'll check to make sure everything isn't just chimneying up by shifting the entire 10 frames by 1-2 positions and moving the empty ones "in". Seems to work for me. In about 3 weeks when the apple and fruit tree blossoms are done I'll probably take the supers off the established hives and then recheck the new ones that I just put the 2nd deeps on this past Monday. Saves on trips to the bee yard. It may not be the best for the bees but right now time is a scarce commodity and I have to be effcicient.

Hope all is well and your bees are happy!


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## Veracity (May 3, 2008)

Chef Isaac said:


> You just have to be careful when rotating frames. Make sure not to break up the brood nest as our weather has been somewhat cold.


I did think about the weather... Our temps where I am in GA is or has been consitantly warm, evenings at or around 60F. Tho' Sun/Mon May 11 & 12 will be around 50F.
...If you wanna' beleive the waether predictions


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>When interleafing the frames from the first and second box, is it sealed brood, half sealed, half open or does it really matter?

What do you mean by "interleafing", I assume interleaving, but what are you interleaving? I would just add the new box and not interleave anything at this point.


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