Victor asks:
The boxes are   quite old and coming apart - what is the best way to turn
the two shallows into one deep for the future.

If not in a hurry move the two shallows down to the bottom and add another
deep to the top *after* the honey flow. If foundation you most likely will
need to feed.

Super as normal this year but go ahead and move the boxes you want to remove
down so brood rearing will start in those boxes. Even confining the queen to
those two shallow might not be a bad idea but without looking at the hive is
hard to say because if you confine her on two shallows now full of honey
without a place to lay eggs the hive might swarm. If very little honey is
now in those two shallows I would confine her on those below a queen
excluder and let the above deep become the winter honey super. Be sure to
remember to pull the excluder after the honey supers are removed and for
sure before cold weather sets in as the bees will cluster above the super
and leave the queen below.

If the bottom shallows are used for brood then over the winter the bees
should move up onto the deeps with honey leaving the bottom shallows empty
to be removed in early spring *next year*.

Many other ways are around but the above is the most common used.

Bob

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