I share the concern re not reorganizing frames at this time of the year.  However, unlike the majority of you, I use a warm not cold configuration with respect to my hives here in Newfoundland.  Those of us who use this configuration number frames 1-10 starting at the back of a deep/super, opposite the hive entrances.

It seems to me that when colony demographics shift during the summer, due to supercedure or other events, some colonies store vast amounts of pollen in two or more frames in positions 4-10.  These can be full frames of pollen, both sides.  

I’m not inclined to leave a full frame of pollen in the centre of a deep (and later brood nest) for the winter.  For the first time yesterday, I moved one of these frames to position 2, so that most of the centre of the hive will have stored honey only. They are currently back-filling brood comb with 2:1 sugar syrup “honey”. I am concerned that a frame of pollen in the centre of a deep will act as a barrier to cluster movement during the winter (resulting in a possible starve-out).  

There is a high possibility that the frame of pollen at the back of a deep (in position 2) will go moldy, but I note that frames of pollen in frames 9-10 at the front of a deep near the entrances never go moldy, and that so much of this depends on colony size, ambient humidity and other variables throughout the winter.

Note that we have fluctuating temperatures above and below zero with much cold humidity throughout the winter here in Newfoundland.  We overwinter with 2 deeps with 100-120 lbs of honey stores.  There is virtually no nectar forage between mid-September and May (when red maple blossoms). 

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