Questions from Newbie

Beesource Members,

I performed a cutout this past Tuesday of a colony that I found in a wall of an old house place on our property. I was able to get roughly 8 frames of brood with the colony. I left them overnight Tuesday and Wednesday morning found all bees in the hive body so I closed them up and relocated them to my house Wednesday and opened them up and let them out.

I also brought home their Honey and placed 7 frames of honey and what I believed looked like nectar and possibly some pollen ( I am a Newbie) and just some empty come in a second deep and placed it on top of the brood box. I also added a hive top feeder with a 1:1 sugar syrup mixture for them.

I have been watching them the last couple days and they seem to be coming and going just fine, I did take the top off and look in both deeps when I added the hive top feeder and there were lots of bees in both boxes.

My question is what should my next steps be to managing the colony, also I noticed that they were joining some of there old comb together that I rubber banded in the frames and placed side by side, how do I correct this so that they are keeping the comb built correctly. Some of the comb looked really thick from the cutout.

I also have noticed that they have been carrying what looks like some dead larva out of the hive and I am hoping this is where they are cleaning up some of the comb that I didn't place in the hive body until a day later.

Does this all seem like normal activity.

Thanks in advance for all comments and suggestions.

Steven.

Sounds to me like you did a great job! And have a strong hive.

It would be very difficult to get cut out comb placed so perfectly that they wouldn't bridge between the frames. After they have had time to anchor the new comb to the frames well, you could go frame by frame and cut and push the comb into place or cut out and discard where it's really out of place. The goal is to get the midridge of the comb in the center of the frame. It will be time consuming and you may never get it perfect. You will end up with a lot of drone cells, too. Maybe add frames of foundation beside one that is correct and gradually replace the cut out comb over the next 2 years.