Not sure if I need to do more??

[billdean]

I have 2 overwintered packaged hives that I installed last May that are absolutely booming. I opened both up today to check on the conditions as there were so many bees. Both hives were jammed packed with bees, top to bottom. I use 8 frame medium hive bodies. Wall to wall bees on every frame. On one hive on the 2nd box down from the top, it had about 10 or 12 queen cups. No eggs or larva in none of them. I proceeded to take out the 4 outside frames of each box (frames 1,2,7,8) and replaced them with foundation for them to draw out. Some were honey and nectar frames I took out and I put them above in the supers. I replaced about 16 frames with new foundation some were just half sheets. The queen had laid in all 4 boxes, eggs, larva, and capped brood everywhere.
The maple trees are just starting to bloom here in my area so there may be some nectar flow going on when the weather allows it, so I put 2 draw out supers on top of the hive. It seems a little early for them to have built up so much. With that many bee how long before they have the foundation draw out. It seems as if they are making swam preparation but we're 3 to 4 weeks before the major flow. Is there anything else I should be doing? Or have I taking the right steps? I am seeing a lot capped drone cells but haven't notice any flying. I believe I may have to check them hives weekly now.

[Acebird]

The queen had laid in all 4 boxes, eggs, larva, and capped brood everywhere.

What does the hive weigh?  I added a box of honey to the top of my hive ... it was light.  I do not pull honey and move it around at this time of the year.  The beauty of medium 8's is that you will get brood in multiple boxes and that makes it perfect for splitting blindly by the box.  You would have to make sure they had plenty to raise a queen, either sugar of honey.  If I was trying to make a boomer crop of honey with this hive I would have let them fill the top box and then add another with foundation.  At that point you could pull up a couple of frames.  As I said taking the honey away from the sides would not be my plan.

[billdean]

Ace.. I really don't know what the hive weight is. Any honey I removed from the sides I put back on the hive in the 2 supers above it with added drawn comb. I would think there is 30 maybe 40 pounds of honey/nectar. My intentions are to takes some frames from the hive and make a couple of splits next week but I want to keep it as a honey producing hive. So if I screw up by taking the honey from the sides is it best to leave it alone at this point or put it back as it was? I guess the queen cup kind of scared me into thinking they were making preps to swarm.

[Acebird]

I guess the queen cup kind of scared me into thinking they were making preps to swarm.

I can't say they are not making preps to swarm but I don't see what you did deterring them either.  Starvation is common in the spring with a hive busting out at the seems.  They will not swarm without back filling the hive and that starts at the top when there is no excluder.  It can't happen without more nectar coming in then they consume.  Hopefully some more experienced beeks will comment on whether or not to reverse what you did.  They may even say what you did is fine.

[cao]

It sounds like you are about 2 weeks behind me.  About two weeks ago when I checked my hives I had several hives that seemed to be in a similar situation.  I added empty boxes to most of my hives.  I may be wrong but I think they are preparing to swarm.  With capped drones, a queen cell started now will have drones available for mating. 
I've caught 4 swarms this week.  One of my hives that swarmed this week had drawn and filled the empty 10 frame med box that I added in a little over a week.  My guess is if you check them next week those queen cups will be filled. 
What you did is what you did.  I can't say it was right or wrong but I would not reverse it.  The bees are already getting used to it. 
Adding empty boxes to a hive that is in swarm mode will not prevent swarming.  I've found that out this week.   I was hoping that it would just delay them a couple weeks.  It didn't.
If you are wanting to keep it as a honey producing hive, I would suggest trying to find the queen and remove her and several frames of bees to simulate a swarm.  Whatever you do, I do agree that weekly  inspections would be a good thing.

[billdean]

Cao...I was thinking, even though it is a little early, if they are preparing to swarm, by opening the sides of the brood nest with 1/2 and full sheets of new foundation that that would delay them for a week or 2 and make more comb. I will definitely check them next week. We have maybe 3 or 4 days of decent weather forecast were they maybe able to bring in some maple nectar. I no they are making wax now as I have seen it on other frames plus the queen cups they made. As far as the capped drone brood, I will have drones available in 2 weeks or less, probably less. Next week I will open the hive back up and hunt for the queen. Maybe I should go out today and put a queen excluder on the hive to narrow down where the queen is. She could be in any of the 6 hive bodies. Now the fun starts! I am not real good at finding queens in 40 or 50 thousands of bees!

[divemaster1963]

if need be check out checker boarding to open the hive up some. or if the weather is getting better get ready for major splits if you want to grow your nos.

john

I think little john talked about checker boarding on here some where.

[tjc1]

Check out some of the info in this thread,

 http://www.beemaster.com/forum/index.php?topic=49688.msg432863#msg432863

especially what Michael Bush has to say - I just opened the brood nest on a similar hive by spacing the brood with bare frames (no foundation) per MB's suggestion.

[Bush_84]

I have a similar hive. Took them out of my bee shed in March and found drones lol. They are in three 8 frame deeps. They fill all deeps. I'm a little behind you yet. Some trees but mostly pollen. I took the bottom deep and put it on top. I am planning on splitting when I get a queen available in a couple of weeks. As soon as dandelions show any evidence of trying to bloom they will get supered heavily. That is my plan with my hive. They won't swarm until there is a flow so I am safe for now. So I have time. Things may be different for you. Depending on the honey in the hive and flow you have options. Checkerboarding, opening brood nest further, supering, splits. All things to consider.

[billdean]

Check out some of the info in this thread,

 http://www.beemaster.com/forum/index.php?topic=49688.msg432863#msg432863

especially what Michael Bush has to say - I just opened the brood nest on a similar hive by spacing the brood with bare frames (no foundation) per MB's suggestion.

Thats pretty much what I did but I used frames with 1/2 the foundation instead of a whole sheet. Frame 1 is a full sheet then frame 2 is a half an sheet. So it would be FhBBBBhF

F= New Foundation, h = half a sheet of foundation, B = existing Brood

[billdean]

I have a similar hive. Took them out of my bee shed in March and found drones lol. They are in three 8 frame deeps. They fill all deeps. I'm a little behind you yet. Some trees but mostly pollen. I took the bottom deep and put it on top. I am planning on splitting when I get a queen available in a couple of weeks. As soon as dandelions show any evidence of trying to bloom they will get supered heavily. That is my plan with my hive. They won't swarm until there is a flow so I am safe for now. So I have time. Things may be different for you. Depending on the honey in the hive and flow you have options. Checkerboarding, opening brood nest further, supering, splits. All things to consider.

Next week I am planing on splitting both hives with a double screen boards and have the lower hive raise their own queen. It maybe a little early for that but I can always recombine if it fails later on. There is a lot of capped drone brood now so it should work out that the upper box will have drones for the virgin queen to mate with by then. Also it will take the queen away from the hive that appears to want to swarm.

[Acebird]

So it would be FhBBBBhF
F= New Foundation, h = half a sheet of foundation, B = existing Brood

I am thinking you are from Michigan.  To me what you did in not opening the brood nest it is taking their food source away.  If you are going to expand brood then you need honey for them to do that or it has to be warm enough that they don't have to cluster.  That way they can get it elsewhere.  Where you are makes all the difference on what you do when.

[billdean]

So it would be FhBBBBhF
F= New Foundation, h = half a sheet of foundation, B = existing Brood

I am thinking you are from Michigan.  To me what you did in not opening the brood nest it is taking their food source away.  If you are going to expand brood then you need honey for them to do that or it has to be warm enough that they don't have to cluster.  That way they can get it elsewhere.  Where you are makes all the difference on what you do when.

Ace..the more I think about it, you may be right. But, thinking and then acting to quickly will probably be my down fall in bee keeping. At this point whats done is done. The bees have alway survived my many mistakes. Let hope they survive this one!
I have been thinking (ah here we go again) that maybe I should go out and take one of the supers with some honey in it and exchange it with the bottom box. Would that help, as the bee are more likely to take the honey up wheres its needed as apposed to bring it down to were they want it. The hives have both top and bottom entrances. I just don't know what to do at this point!

[Acebird]

I just don't know what to do at this point!

I will give you my number one rule.  If you don't know what to do then you do nothing.  It has worked for me.  I think it works because like you said the bees are adaptable as long as you don't do too many things wrong in a row.  I think you have time.
I think you said the hives are 5-6 boxes high so you can just go out there every day if you like and just rock the hives.  Feel the weight.  When it starts gaining weight think about doing your split/splits.  Weight is a big thing for my management and I hardly ever use a scale anymore.