Hi,

I winter in three deep. About a week before the honey flow hits I shake most
of the bees out of the top two boxes (already been reversed) after locating
the queen. The daughter is set behind the parent on its own stand. I do one
of three things. I don't buy queens.

1. Give the old queen to the daughter.  A crowded section colony is ideal
for cell building usually. I cut all but one cell.

2.I winter nucs which I just drop the whole thing into the daughter and let
them rip.(or just take the queen and add new cells).

3.graft cells and requeen via cell, or similar methods demaree queens for
example.

Basically I use the Killions methods as these make some of the best
sections.

Clay