2 weeks into my first colony, it has been an amazing experience thus far. My bees are extremely calm and don’t pay attention to any of my activities inside or outside of the hive. It is so much fun to watch them work, always flying in legs covered in pollen.
Hi Fred! Welcome to the forum and to beekeeping. What a beautiful setup you have there! I wondered if you are using the super box as housing for a feeder, or if you have the Flow frames in there hoping for some storage?
I’m tagging my Tennessee gal pal @Martha who might have some great tips for you as a local 
Looks like you are doing a lot right. Love the backyard, particularly the pond.
The top box is an empty brood box. It is only housing my gallon size feeder. When they get all the frames filled out I will move the empty box to the bottom and add frames to it. I have a 3rd empty box to add to the top for the feeder. Once both brood box frames are full i will add the flow super box. I also have brood building patties on top of the frames. Both the patties and the feeder have honey-b-healthy in them and they seem to love it.
Oh and once I add the super I will utilize the queen excluder and remove the feeder. We should be well into nectar flow by then.
That is an amazing backyard! Pond is really cool!
Thanks. Dug it myself.
That is a beautiful pond! I missed it the first time I looked at your pictures because I was reading the sign. 
Haha funny sign. Hey on the pond, how long did it take to settle in with the vegetation and all? Did you plant right after building the pond or did you just add over time?
Most of it I planted the first summer. I added the pitcher plants and lotus last year. I had a different pond in a different area before I dug this one. I moved all my fish and plants over immediately. It is 21 feet across and 4 feet deep.
this is the ponds 6th summer and the bees 1st. 
Have you got one just before filling it with water?
I do, will have to comb through the lappy and find them. Here is my hive just before filling with bees. 
