I think next bee check we'll definitely use the smoker. I looked at the swarm trap hive first. No sign of wax moth invasion so I left it alone. Hopefully we'll catch a good-natured queen and start a friendly new colony. I checked the hive next to it and just lifted the top box which is already pretty heavy. I looked at one end frame which was full of uncapped nectar. Added a box of undrawn frames which will give that hive plenty of work to do.
I was planning to add a frame with eggs to the new split but those ladies weren't happy when I opened the hive. They should have a queen cell a few days from hatching so maybe they were in high protective mode. They have lots of bees and will need another box as soon as they have a laying queen.
I checked the mother hive and they were really testy when I took off the inner cover. I lifted the box which was pretty light so I decided to just leave them alone. I had lots of guard bees following me around the yard so I was careful to walk around until they all decided I was no threat and went home.
Smoker next time! But it's clear we need more frames and foundation. The owner of the bee shop has convinced me to try wax coated plastic frames. He says you can't combine in the hive but I'm going to try putting a full box of the plastic frames on top of a hive and see what they do. We have one plastic frame and we've never had a problem with the bees using it. So we shall see. Beekeeping is as much an art as a science.
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