> Allen, after my first honey crop, I shake my colonies down to a single 
> box, and then move them to alfalfa, and place a deep of new frames with 
> foundation on top of each. The bees generally just sit there for several 
> days before they start to pay any attention whatsoever to the boxes of 
> foundation (no Q exluder).

Have you tried putting the box on as soon as you pull the top boxes, and 
before moving?  My experience is that if they were occupying top boxes, they 
will rush into the super of comb.  At least that was my experience when 
raising comb honey.

I would pull a five-high or taller production hive down to a single brood 
and add several (2 or 3) Ross Rounds boxes.  The bees would immediately rush 
into the supers, with the encouragement of a little smoke, and cluster 
there.

They all fit in that much smaller volume since there was no comb yet and the 
space was mostly empty.  As soon as they drew that foundation, though, they 
needed more boxes.  Those additional boxes we added on the bottom of the 
stack of supers, though, since otherwise, we would see what you report.

Of course these hives were so strong there is no way the bees could all fit 
into one brood box, and nobody in his right mind would try to move a hive 
with a beard like those would have, so I am assuming that your singles are 
not too crowded, and that could account for the delay you report. 

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