Ian said:
Managed a yard in singles this past year.  Produced more than
doubles, mostly becasue of the extra box of honey extracted rather
than left for winter.
  I found that the brood present was the SAME between the doubles and the
singles.

Bee hives left alone by the beekeeper tend to maintain a certain amount of
brood. When not pushed by the beekeeper the brood present between a single
and a double are similar when in a similar area. A minor spring flow happens
and both queens increase laying. A cold snap happens and they slow down.

I will say that a few of the researchers that have studied honey production
will say keeping bees in two deeps can cause less of a honey crop if the
beekeeper is not aware of the condition of the hive at the start of a major
honey flow as 80 plus pounds of honey can be packed into the two brood nests
instead of going into supers.

Most hobby beekeepers like to see the 80 pounds go into the two hive bodies.

maximum honey production:

I will also say from experience that a properly prepared single hive (8
frames brood & bees)will never produce the honey of a properly prepared
double (16 frames of brood & bees).
And a  properly prepared two queen ( 32 frames of brood & bees)will out
produce the best double.

The above are carefully managed hives tricked into brood production with
brood added at the start of a main honey  flow lasting about six weeks. The
other frames to fill the box  are pollen and honey.

In poor honey production years the two queens really out produce the doubles
but in excellent honey production years the extra work of doing two queens
often is not worth the effort.

I discovered the above by doing  experiments I read about from the old
beekeeping masters.

Bob

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