How to Reverse Bee Hives

In a typical bee hive setup, two hive bodies typically form the brood chamber of the hive. In these boxes, the queen raises her young to keep the colony strong. As a colony matures, older queens may lay eggs only in the upper hive body within the hive. Reversing the hive bodies can stimulate egg-laying activity in the queen and promote the use of both hive bodies, producing a stronger and more productive bee hive and reducing the risk of swarming.

Things You'll Need

  • Smoker
  • Hive tool
  • Protective clothing
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Instructions

    • 1

      Choose a time in the spring when there will be several days of relatively warm and calm weather above 50 degrees to reverse a hive. Smoke the hive to calm the bees.

    • 2

      Remove any honey supers from above the top of hive body and any queen excluder that may be in place. Set these aside.

    • 3

      Remove the top hive body. Examine the frames within the hive body to verify they are covered with bees and the queen is laying. Tip the super up and remove any ladder honey comb that extends downward from the bottom of the frames within the hive body. Set the hive body safely aside.

    • 4

      Examine the frames within the bottom hive body to verify that they are covered with bees and that the queen is not using them for brood. Remove the bottom hive body from the bottom board of the beehive and set it aside.

    • 5

      Place the top hive body on the bottom board. Align the edges of the hive body with the edges of the bottom board.

    • 6

      Place the bottom hive body on top of the top hive body now on the bottom board. Align the edges of both hive bodies. Replace the queen excluder, if used.

    • 7

      Replace any honey supers on top of the hive bodies.