Well, I got into my bottom box today, past a shallow super full of honey and bees and an IL super full of bees and brood (and I'm not sure what all was in there.....lotsa brood, didn't see the queen) and the whole bottom box had been demolished by a mouse (I think it was a mouse....can I post pics on my messages here? I'll try!) so there was NO honey, NO brood, some bees and black comb in the bottom box. UGH!! I plead poor varmint management!
SO, after asking the girls for forgiveness, I reassembled with a nice new, clean brood box.....when I had actually planned to split and give one hive a new queen tomorrow.....since I prematurely ordered a new queen.
Do tell me what you would do? Split them anyway? I just have the one hive. I'd love to have more. I have a new queen in the warm basement awaiting a home and what seems like a purty good queen in the poor mouse-ridden hive in the yard. Would you requeen and increase next year (or later this year, depending on how it goes). If I split, I may get 2 weak hives, right? Is black comb bad? I have plenty of new foundation to replace it, if it is.
Thanks, everyone! I truly appreciate your advice!! (http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c125/thecraftydragon/P1000224-1.jpg)
The black comb is brood comb, the comb where the brood was raised. The lighter combs were the storage combs on each side of the brood area.
I would just trim the combs a little and put them back as the bees will rebuild it--foundation is not a necessity.
Since you have another queen go ahead and do a split and feed them heavy. The will need it to get started. 2 hives is always better than 1 and improves the learning curve about 75%.
Thanks, Brian!!
I feel so much better!
Love, Marla