1st year questions/robbing on purpose/re-using brood frame

[stacyleighpalmer]

basic info-started with 2 hives this spring, both doing great, big storm few weeks back knocked one over, didn't know till too late, freezing temps, bees dead. i cried and kicked myself and then picked up boxes, frames, etc., and carried them to back porch to take care of "later". and put 5 gallon bucket filled with water on top of surviving hive.

1st question-weather is wierdly warm, surviving hive bees (hive 1) have come to back porch to get honey/pollen left in dead hive boxes. suited up and looked in hive 1, top box-had a couple outside frames with not much in them, so i replaced those with a couple from dead hive that had a lot left. still had 5 frames that hive 1 bees were all over. i put them in a box with lid and base and set them out next to hive 1 so they can rob it and not be on my porch. is there any problem with this? i figured i'd go get them back in a few days when it gets cold again, then put them in the freezer till i get another pkg in spring (like i should have done already).

2nd question-i know bees clean things up themselves, but-some of the frames from dead hive have capped brood and larvae in them. as far as re-using this comb, can i put it in like this with new pkg? will they clean it out? or should i just save the "clean" frames for next time and cut these out and salvage wax?

thank you, in advance, for the help. the people posting on here have been SO helpful.

stacy

[FlowerPlanter]

can i put it in like this with new pkg?
Yes

will they clean it out?
Yes

or should i just save the "clean" frames for next time and cut these out and salvage wax?
No

You could also put the boxes above the inner cover of the surviving hive and they will get what they want and start cleaning on warmer days.

In the spring take 2-3 frames of brood, a frame of honey, 2 shakes of bees and the quuen from your surviving hive and put them in the old hive. Keep any eye on the surviving hive to verify it makes a new queen.

Don’t kick yourself the bees would have got wet and cold and died within an hour, even if you did find them right not much you could have done for them.

[Rader Sidetrack]

Stacey, you didn't specify, but please make sure that bucket of water has a lid on it, or replace it with something like a concrete block. You wouldn't want the wind to upset that bucket.

An alternative, if you have something in the ground, or a hive stand to hook to, is a ratchet strap cinched over the top of the hive.

[stacyleighpalmer]

thank you both! ratchet straps sound good-didn't think of it.