>We observed that colonies with large bee populations often failed to move
from the bottom box to the top box, essentially starving with a full super
of honey above them.

I've noticed this when in a double, the cluster is in the lower box, and
the upper box is completely full of honey on new combs.  The bees appear to
not want to bridge the gap between the top bars to the bottom bars of the
new honey-filled combs.  So I like to include a dark comb in the middle,
preferable with some open cells near the bottom -- the bees move right up.

Jerry, did your upper boxes fit that description?

Juanse mentioned some years ago that he places pieces of comb between the
top and bottom bars to help the bees to move up.

Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
530 277 4450
ScientificBeekeeping.com



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