[jhrusky]

Hi. I need some advice on this ...

Last year we started our first ever beehive. We ordered 3lbs. of bees and everything seemed to go fairwell. The bees filled 2 deeps, started on the first honey super and got it about 1/2 way drawn out. Then the worst winter in the last 20 years hit ...

Our bees must have froze to death as they were all dead and nearly half the honey in the deeps are left.
(There are 2 pics of the frames here
http://www.jayjaynet.com/jayjay/images/2014Bees1.jpg
http://www.jayjaynet.com/jayjay/images/2014Bees2.jpg
in case there is something wrong with them that someone can see as I am unsure.)

Assuming there is nothing wrong, when we get our new 3lbs of bees in in May, do we add them to just 1 deep with empty frames, or full frames, or half of fullframes and half of empty frames? OR, do we add them to both deeps with the frames as they are: 1/2 filled and 1/2 not?

In the meantime, are we OK keeping the frames with honey just in the garage as they are sealed well and not leaking?

And since the frames in the deeps are pretty much all drawn out, when we do know to put on the 1st honey super for them now?

Thank you.

 

[jhrusky]

What I would do....(place that phrase in front of all the comments on this page, everyone does things a bit differently). Assuming there are no diseases in the hive that killed the bees I would drop them down into the single bottom hive body and close them up. Unless your bees were limiting space for the queen to lay all those drawn frames will make a lot of happy bees. If there are any "bad" frames move them out or around. The honey in there will help keep them moving along and give you a reason not to feed. Keep an eye on them since they don't need to take the time to draw comb. The second box will probably be added much sooner this year then last(assuming us cheeseheads get weather that cooperates with bee activity)! 7-9 "worked" frames, add the next box. Worked frames to me is either capped or filled for the most part. juzzer

**where do you get your bees from?**

When you say 7-9 worked frames, is that for the 1st box or only the 2nd?

The bees are coming (again) from Georgia ... H & R Apiares

We bought our hives and equipment at Honey Glow Farms up near Owen. Very friendly and helpful people there with some 1400 hives of their own.