I moved back to my parents farm only to find a beehive in the old hay barn with bees in it. Beekeeping has changed by leaps and bounds from the last time I messed with any of them. It turns out the hive had been going downhill for some time, it hadn't been managed for around 3 years.
The bees absconded due to an SHB infestation, before I was prepared, and I have been trying to find some answers as to what I need to get them back on track.
Welcome capn!
Good luck in your adventure.
I think you can get your questions answered by some pretty smart people in a different part of the forum.
Joel