NO BROOD?

[peter]

I have a hive that was started one and a half months ago with a swarm. The problem is, the box that I put them in did not have any frames in it so they built random. They have built four combs and I can't check the inside combes for brood or anything else. Would a swarm have lasted this long without any brood?? Do I need to worry??                 Also, as it is winter, do I need to feed all winter?? 

[AllenF]

Winter bees are in the cluster.    They do not raise much brood at all.   This spring you will need to put the combs in frames.   

[FRAMEshift]

I have a hive that was started one and a half months ago with a swarm. The problem is, the box that I put them in did not have any frames in it so they built random. They have built four combs and I can't check the inside combes for brood or anything else. Would a swarm have lasted this long without any brood?? Do I need to worry??                 Also, as it is winter, do I need to feed all winter?? 

Swarms caught so late in the season are usually more trouble than they are worth.   Probably the best thing you can do now is to open the box on a warm day (warmer than 50F) , place some newspaper in the hive... preferably at the top, above the combs, and add dry sugar so the bees don't starve in the winter.  Then close the box and leave it alone till spring.  

When the weather warms up in the spring, you will need to cut the combs out and tie/rubberband them into frames to salvage as much as possible.

[peter]

Do you just mean raw sugar from the super market??

[Anybrew]

They mean just plain old white sugar.