Spring Startup

[StarrGin]

 Last spring I remove a hive from the wall of our farm house.  Hive was smaller than I expected.  I was able to salvage around 7 frames of brood and honey.  I placed these frames across 2 bottom supers and filled the remainder of 3 supers (total) with foundation.  I pretty much resisted temptation and left the hive alone for the summer; occasionally feeding sugar water.

At the end of the summer, I opened the hive to assess.  The foundation in the upper did not appear to have been touched.  I checked foundation frames in the second super and found evidence of comb building and egg laying.  I didn't check any old comb frame.  The weather was still warm and I wasn't sure how stable old comb would be in the frames.  The bees have seem the weather the warm SC winter well.  There is hive activity on warm days.

This spring I need to move the hive to a new location away from the house.  I've selected a site on a gentle hill side near a stream.  The new site will have shade from the afternoon sun.

Is it too early to move the hive?
How can I encourage the bees to expand into the unused super?  Move it to the bottom?
What assistance can I give the bees to promote hive growth?  Ideally, I would like to produce a split at some point.
I gather from some other posts, its probably OK to open the hive for an inspection.

[Vance G]

It would be easiest to move them on a cold day when they are not flying.  It would be even better if it was forecast cold for several days.  THis will allow the bees to forget their old location and not fly back to the house looking for it.  Put a bunch of grass or a branch in front of the entrance so they have to pay attention when they leave and reorient to their new location.  After a few days you can remove it.  I would make sure they do not run out of food.  Lots of ways to feed discussed all over this site.  The bees probably won't start drawing out that foundation til they need it to store fresh nectar in.  If it is a whole box of foundation they are not working in, I would take it off, so they do not have to heat that empty space.  When you pull the lid and they are putting white comb on the top of the frames to the cover, you will know it is time to put it back on.  That whitening signals a flow.   I hope that is understandable.  You will always get the best advice from some old beekeeper down the road from you.  Value his opinion more than someones as far away as I.  Good luck with it.