G’day @Jake, let me clarify. What happens with a shb infestation is: The beetle larvae exudes a slime which is a bee repellent. If a hive gets slimed out bad enough, the whole colony will abscond. It’s mainly a weak colony that normally gets their hive slimed out. When that colony absconds, it would give the appearance of a swarm of bees. That’s what I’m talking about. We picked up a swarm only a week before last winter. I thought that was highly unusual. I wondered at the time if something like that happened… Well done on the start of your hive. I hope you read Dexter’s billboard warning about beekeeping being addictive. However It could be too late.
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PS, I see your using wooden starter strips. Personally I would go with full sheets of wax foundation. But that’s just me. I think you’ll have less hassles, a stronger worker population & get there quicker with full foundation.