Bees not drawing comb... and request for mentor

[greenbtree]

Hi! I live in Iowa, but I have a friend in Solsberry.  She currently is without bees (She has 8 kids and is in the reserves) but I am sure she would like to talk to you.  I currently have 14 hives, and 5 nucs.  One of the hives is from a swarm that moved into a winter deadout.  They also have refused to build comb, even though they had drawn comb to start and moved in at the start of June.  They are also booming in numbers and otherwise very vigorous.  I tried a frame of open brood from a medium hive in the super to encourage them, but even though they took care of it, they still refused to drawn on either side of it. This hive is a double deep Lang, supered with a medium box.  I have given up on them, and gave them wet comb from extraction to put up more supplies for the winter.  I will requeen them next year if they make it through the winter.  Unless they have an attitude adjustment over the winter and start building comb in spring like crazy.

JC