Reversing Brood Boxes: When and Why

Reversing Brood Boxes: What It Is, When to Do It, and Whether You Even Need To

Most beekeepers pick up the basics pretty quickly, but understanding why bees do what they do—and what they’re about to do next—takes a little more practice. One topic that often comes up in spring is whether or not to reverse brood boxes, and if it actually helps the colony.

What Does “Reversing Brood Boxes” Mean?

As bees eat through their winter stores, the cluster naturally works its way upward. By the time spring rolls around, the queen is usually laying in the top box. If she hits a wall of honey or can’t move down into open comb, the colony can get crowded fast—and that’s when swarm plans begin.

Reversing the boxes simply moves the brood nest back to the bottom box to give the colony more room to grow upward again.

The Pros and Cons

Reversing can be helpful… but it’s not always the right choice.

If the brood nest spans both boxes, flipping them can split it in half. In early spring, when the colony is still building up, they may not have the bees needed to keep two separated groups of brood warm and cared for. That can cause problems like chilled brood or stressed colonies.

On the flip side, waiting too long can lead to congestion and swarm prep.

The bottom line: take a good look before making the call. If the bees are well-established in both boxes, it’s usually best not to reverse.

Do You Really Need to Reverse?

Beekeepers are split on this. Some swear by it—others rarely bother.

Rusty Burlew of Honey Bee Suite points out that many beekeepers reverse brood boxes simply because “it’s what we’ve always done,” not because the colony actually needed it.

Larry Connor, on the other hand, notes that when the brood nest is mostly in one box, reversing can help keep it intact and give the queen room to expand in a more natural direction.

Truthfully, both are right—it all depends on what the colony is doing.

What to look for in Spring

A few quick questions during inspections will tell you whether reversing makes sense:

• Where is most of the brood?
• Are the bees using both boxes?
• Is the bottom box empty?
• If you add supers now, where will the queen likely expand?
• Will reversing split the brood?

If bees are already working both boxes, reversing may cause more harm than good. If the bottom box is empty and the brood nest is pushed tight into the top, reversing can help open things back up.

Graphic: Chari Elam

Timing Matters

Reversing too early risks chilled brood.
Reversing too late risks a swarm.

There’s no calendar date that fits everyone—your weather, your bees, and your inspections will tell you when (or if) it’s needed.

By: James Elam