Marc:  Read Bill Truesdale post, because he is local.
However, I want to say something about REVERSING.  I am a very strong believer
in reversing and start in Feb continuing until strong nectar flow in late
April or early May.  BUT, YOU HAVE WATCH WHAT YOU ARE DOING.
IF THERE IS NO LARVA OR CAPPED BROOD IN THE LOWER STORY, just stores or empty,
by all means REVERSE.  However, if there is eggs or larvae in the lower box
and you reverse, then that brood will be up near the inner cover, but the
queen and nurse bees will be down near the bottom board.  Your brood is now
SPLIT, and on a cold night, one group or the other will chill because the bees
cannot warm both.  Good reversing practice is a "must" for good beekeeping as
a swarm prevention, but screwed up reversing can badly hurt you.  Talk to Bill
Truesdale or Tony Jadczak.  Wish I was there to help, but my strokes have
"slowed me down"
By the way, I no longer own a deep body.  All of my 100+colonies are in 3
Illinois brood chambers, so reversing is a lot easier for me than switching
two deep bodies.  Just another wonderful reason for using ALL Illinois and
having only ONE size frame in your apiary.  I converted 15 years ago after 50
years with deeps and shallows; and wish I had started with ALL Illinois back
in 1933.
George Imirie