Not sure how to manage these hives, photos included

[TheFuzz]

I inspected my beehives yesterday. It's two weeks from spring here in Australia, but gauging by the warm weather I think it's basically already here. I wasn't sure what to do with the hives so I took some photos:

https://imgur.com/a/RYHWEGa

I didn't lift any frames because since they're all attached with comb , it would have caused a good amount of disruption and damage, but maybe this was a mistake?

The bottom of the frames are having comb joining them to the top of the frames in the super below, because the frames that are in these hives have no bottom bar. Should I be aiming to replace these crappy frames with frames that have bottoms in the future?

Do I need to pull off frames in the brood chamber, even though it'll seriously annoy the bees, to check if the queen has laying space?

I feel rather unsure about these basic fundamentals of managing a beehive. I just opened up these hives yesterday and wasn't sure what I should be doing with them.

[van from Arkansas]

That is a mess of burr comb.  How much frame space is between boxes?  I did not see very many bees, is this normal for this time of year?

I would start off a little at a time scrapping burr comb off top of frames being careful to smoke to run bees down into the frames so the bees don?t get squished.

Looks like you have plenty of stores.  Is the comb cross linked in the brood chamber?  I would be very careful about scraping burr comb the in brood nest.

Hope this helps.
Van

[TheFuzz]

I'm not sure how much space is inbetween, I'll have to try and measure it.

Not sure about low bee population, my best guess is it's a bit low but not abnormally low.

Yes, the comb appears to be cross linked in the brood chamber.

[Fishing-Nut]

Smoke em down and clean it up....are those homemade hives? Looks like to much bee space for sure.

[FatherMichael]

I'd wait until it warms up a bit and then clean it up.

You don't want to chill any brood that will be your early work force.

[FloridaGardener]

It could help you to put the entire hive on a 6-foot fold-out table, so you're working at an easy height. With a table, you can set down tools, and not lose bees in the grass.  Also bring a pail of water for washing up, and a pail with lid to scrape the burr comb into.  Throwing it in the grass could draw predators.  You may want to crush & strain if there's lots of honey.

It would help to buy/make a frame rest, or else use an extra hive body, to keep frames upright after inspection/adjustment/repair.  And bring some 'lackys (rubber bands) in case you need to straighten the comb and strap it back into a frame. Bring a pencil to mark the top of each frame, so it goes back in the same order and facing the same direction. And a towel to cover, keeping brood from being chilled.

If I saw the Queen, I'd put her in a clip or a wire press-in cage for safekeeping, until I was done reworking the hive.

Looks like you have a broken frame (the frame bottom lying there) which you'll probably want to mend with a drill-driver.  Are you sure these frames have no bottoms? Or did they break off in the burr comb?

In addition to burr comb between boxes, there's bridge comb between frames, too.  To avoid ripping apart combs, I'd get a sharp, serrated fish fillet knife.  S-l-ow-ly slice the bridge comb apart before lifting out frames.  If you move or cut parts in a sort of buzzy vibration way, they feel it & get out of the way. 

If it's just fat honey storage at the top of the frame, the comb can be trimmed to the right width while holding it over the pail to catch the shavings.  If it's brood comb, as Van says, it will be like surgery to sort it. It may be better to leave two or three frames entangled for now, until you can one by one pluck off the crazy frames as you usher the Queen's lair toward new straight comb in coming weeks.

The evaluation is, how many hive body boxes do these bees really need? How many frames have brood on them?  If the bees are not tightly packed, it may be that the wildest honey comb can be removed now.  They will draw new, straight comb during the flow if you guide them weekly.

[Ben Framed]

It looks as though there is bur comb on top of your frames. This should not take more than three shakes of a lambs tail. I would use a paint scraper and remove all the burr comb first. Do you know if the inside of the frames are in order? Have they been drawn out with cross comb? I can not tell by the pictures. If they are crossed comb, simply use a longer butcher knife that will reach the bottoms and make you cuts completely down the middle of  (in between) each frame, remove said frames one at a time and treat as a cut out. Save what can be and don't make the same mistake again.

Phillip

[cao]

Seeing that you are from Australia, I assume that you are close to spring time.  They don't look too bad to me.  They will require some work though.  I would wait till it is warm enough and you have a good flow going.

>I didn't lift any frames because since they're all attached with comb , it would have caused a good amount of disruption and damage, but maybe this was a mistake?

probably a good idea for now.

>The bottom of the frames are having comb joining them to the top of the frames in the super below, because the frames that are in these hives have no bottom bar. Should I be aiming to replace these crappy frames with frames that have bottoms in the future?

Yes all broken or crappy frames need to be replaced sooner rather than later.

>Do I need to pull off frames in the brood chamber, even though it'll seriously annoy the bees, to check if the queen has laying space?

I wouldn't worry about that until you get the rest of the hive sorted out.

>I feel rather unsure about these basic fundamentals of managing a beehive. I just opened up these hives yesterday and wasn't sure what I should be doing with them.

It would be nice if you had a mentor to help you but it is not necessary.  You just need to take your time and clean up part of the hive every time you do an inspection.  I would start at the top box.  Cut out any burr comb on top of frames in the top box.  Then start by removing one frame at a time, cleaning it up as you go along.  Replacing any broken ones.  I would stop after you get the first box done.  Let the bees relax for a week then when you get back in them you start with the next box.  If at any time the bees get angrier than you want to deal with, just close them up and give them a week to calm down. 

[BeeMaster2]

I would do what CAO said. The bees are not bothered as much when you are working in the honey supers as they are when you start messing with the brood. Hopefully you do not have SHBs in your area. That is another reason to not mess with the brood box.
Bee sure to use the 10 minute and 30 second rules when you smoke them.
Jim Altmiller

[Michael Bush]

Make a "Cheese cutter" aka a garrote.  Take a guitar string (piano wire) and put a handle on each end.  Make it a little wider than the hive.  Pry things up just enough to get it in and cut the comb by pulling the wire between the boxes.

[van from Arkansas]

I'd wait until it warms up a bit and then clean it up.

You don't want to chill any brood that will be your early work force.

Good catch, Brother, I forgot it?s still cool down under.  Yes, absolutely pay close attraction not to chill the brood.
Blessings
Van

[TheFuzz]

Thanks for the advice everyone I appreciate it.

I wondered if the gap between the bottom of a frame, and the top of the frame that is sitting in the box underneath, is larger than a bee space. I did some awkward measurements and to be shock it seems there's about 1.9 cm gap between the frame above and below each other, about 3/4 of an inch.

To ask the obvious; is this then why the bees join the frames together, and whenever I lift a super comb splits apart?

[BeeMaster2]

Yes,
When you give bees more than 3/8 of an inch they build comb. When you give them less than one quarter inch they fill with propolis.
Jim Altmiller