I am noticing something I haven't noticed before.

[Yankee11]

In doing inspections. The hives seem to be backfilling the upper deeps with nectar already. I usually pull those full frames until the golden rod starts to bloom.

These hives have room in the supers to put nectar. We have had a very unusual summer hear, very cool and wet. I am wondering if the bees know something. Maybe were gonna have an early winter this year.

I am thinking I should leave the hives that are filling the upper deep alone as long as they have a empty super above their deep.

What will happen if they fill the upper deep then goldenrod blooms, will they go above the upper deep and store the golden rod in the empty super? I think golden rod is going to go crazy this year with all the rain we have had.

I over winter in double deeps.

[Bakersdozen]

. Maybe were gonna have an early winter this year.

I am thinking I should leave the hives that are filling the upper deep alone as long as they have a empty super above their deep.
 I think golden rod is going to go crazy this year with all the rain we have had.

I over winter in double deeps.

I am the same situation here.  The bees are filling the upper deeps.
I also think we might have an early winter.  Everyone around me ought to keep supers handy.  I think we are going to have a fall crop.

[LazyBkpr]

  You can pull the capped frames. Mark them and put them in the freezer. That will allow them to fill more frames if the fall flow is good.  This lets you keep reserves in case anything goes wrong. When november rolls in and you have some hives that did not fill their reserves for winter you can do it for them.  If they all do well and have full reserves... well, you have frames to extract!

[riverbee]

"I am thinking I should leave the hives that are filling the upper deep alone as long as they have a empty super above their deep.

What will happen if they fill the upper deep then goldenrod blooms, will they go above the upper deep and store the golden rod in the empty super? I think golden rod is going to go crazy this year with all the rain we have had."

that's what i would do yankee, leave the upper deep alone with the empty super above.  the bees will store the surplus in the empty.  it might not get capped or fully capped, but you can use it to feed back to them if necessary. 

[Yankee11]

What I think and hope is happening, is that as the brood hatches in the upper deeps. They are back filling for winter and moving the brood nest to the lower deep.

As long as they will go above that upper deep once it is filled then I will leave. But, I guess I need to make sure the bottom deep is completely open so she has plenty of room to lay for winter bees.

I think our queens down here lay until 1st of Dec most years.

[apisbees]

That is another consideration the bees do not need as large as brood area when the Queen can lay multiple rounds of brood. It also provides winter bees that are a few months younger and that should survive further into spring. This is where the advantage of overwintering bees in the southern climates pays off.

[Yankee11]

By learning to read the frames,
I just hope I am learning what the bees are telling me and work with THEM. Seems it will make my life easier with having more hives and not having to feed them as much.

[riverbee]

"What I think and hope is happening, is that as the brood hatches in the upper deeps. They are back filling for winter and moving the brood nest to the lower deep."

"By learning to read the frames,
I just hope I am learning what the bees are telling me and work with THEM. Seems it will make my life easier with having more hives and not having to feed them as much."

yankee you are right on about reading the frames!  and you are a great keeper of bees !  i enjoy your posts, thank you!