> Lloyd Spear makes lots of good points.
>
> However, there is a down side to confining the queen to the bottom
> super during heavy nectar flows, such as we get in MT on a good year
> -- although that's not been a problem last few years.

When I read the question, alarms went off in my mind.

My advice is this: If you think this might be a worthwile technique, try it
on a few hives first, not all, and wait a year.  I gather you are doing just
fine managing the way you are.  Don't get greedy.  Try a few, observe
carefully the benefits, and, equally carefully, watch for any unexpected
adverse effects over an entire year.

Bob and Murray are expert long-time beekeepers and have developed methods
that apparently work in their area, under their management.  I respect them
both, and I'm assuming they developed these methods over years, through
trial and error, and that the results of these manipulations are worth the
extra work, and the extra stress on them, and on the bees.

Having said that, I've tried these techniques and more, but never found
anything that beat just putting the bees in a good hive, in a good location,
and giving them appropriate amounts of room and -- other than checking for
disease and pests and making appropriate treatments when called for -- just
letting them go and do their thing.

Of course I added supers ahead of expected flows, and IMO, that is the most
common error beekeepers make -- not supering or supering late.  Super
enough, and even a few weeks early (weather permitting) in spring, and many
of the other problems go away.  At any rate, with minimal mangement, I got
decent crops, low expenses, healthy bees: no detectable nosema ,
undetectable AFB & EFB, few mite problems, and good wintering.

(Note: In the special case described, at this time of year, with
temperatures oscillating down to freezing, extra supers may *not* be a good
idea.  Reducing entrances and sealing cracks will result in more honey
upstairs, and more honey, period.  Bees *will not* store well on comb they
cannot occupy most of the time, so, as in comb honey production, heat must
be conserved as much as possible when weather is cool, so the bees spread
out and occupy the super(s)).

I compare opening a hive and moving frames around to open-heart surgery.
OHS can be a lifesaver, when necessary, but you don't just do it because you
can, because someone else does it, or because you think it might be a good
idea.  When someone does OHS, hopefully, (s)he is an expert and knows why
the procedure is necessary, and exactly how to proceed.

All these (IMO) unnatural hive manipulations tend to run counter to what the
bees 'think' is required, and, unless done at the right time and with a
sensitive hand, result in stress.

Stress, beyond a point, can result in disease, queen loss, crop loss, and
colony death.  It takes a very good beekeeper to know where that point is,
and when (s)he is helping, and when (s)he is just damaging or hindering the
hive.

Granted, our goals are not always run exactly the same direction as those of
the bees, but our best management, IMO, takes place when we can just give
them a nudge or assistance in the direction we would like to see them go,
for example, by adding supers when they could use some, opening and reducing
entrances, providing additional ventilation when the temperatures soar,
moving them to better pasture, etc.

Sure, go ahead, give it a try, but five'll get you ten that you'll decide it
is not worth it, especialy under the conditions described.

allen
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/

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