I've just come back from a quick look into my hive and I am completely surprised. I took off a nearly full deep honey super about 3 weeks ago and extracted about 35 lbs. of honey. I had some brood left on the frames - it was my sneaky skinny queen who likely laid eggs above the excluder - so I put the super with the extracted frames (with capped brood) back onto the hive as a 3rd brood box. I put on a new excluder with a deep super above it. So - 4 deeps, 3 below the excluder, one above. I've just checked that top super and it's nearly full of honey, about 2/3 capped.
NOW WHAT? I know that I can't overwinter with 3 brood boxes. And I assume I will be taking off that top super filled with honey because I think that the bottom boxes are full and heavy. I will go have a deeper look into the hive when I get someone to help me - I can't lift these things by myself. Assuming the bottom and 2nd box are full and heavy, and assuming there is some brood in the 3rd box what should I do?
I have a friend with a weak hive who has suggested that I give him a box with capped brood to beef up his colony. Does this make sense?
As soon as this is all dealt with, I'll treat for mites and whatnot because I'm in Ontario and winter looms ahead.