Hive Inspection - 2 Hive Bodies

[sbashpet]

Hello everyone,

My friend Tommy and I started keeping bees this year, in May.  We  intended to begin with 3 pounds of bees and a queen but were lucky enough to start with a nuc.  Our colony is doing great.  

We inspect the hive nearly every week.  Our bees are extremely gentle, often we don't use any protective gear at all.  To date: there have been two stings; I received both; two different fingers; two different days; once grabing the hive tool and the second time moving a frame.

We started the colony with a deep hive body. In late may we added another deep hive body.  At this time, the upper hive body is full of brood and some honey.  Last week we saw the queen on one of the frames in the upper hive body.   :?: The bees have built comb from the bottom of the frames in the upper hive body connecting to the top of the frames in the lower hive body.   Everytime we do an inspection we remove this comb. Is this the right thing to do? :?:

Also, we have not inspected the lower hive body for 4 weeks now.  I am curious if we should do that now.  
 :?:

 :?: Yes you say?  Great.  How?  One of the suggestions I read is to do the following:

1. Smoke the have as usual.
2. Gently pry open the upper and lower hive bodies and smoke in between
3. Remove the upper hive body with frames; place down on something that will provide minimal points of contact.
4. Inspect lower body
5. Return upper body
6. Inspect upper body.
 :?:
Is this correct?  

What to do if we find supercede cells or swarm cells?  From what I read here, we should do nothing.  Is that the consensus?

Thanks in advance!!

Peter

[Michael Bush]

>We started the colony with a deep hive body. In late may we added another deep hive body. At this time, the upper hive body is full of brood and some honey. Last week we saw the queen on one of the frames in the upper hive body. Question The bees have built comb from the bottom of the frames in the upper hive body connecting to the top of the frames in the lower hive body. Everytime we do an inspection we remove this comb. Is this the right thing to do?

http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslazy.htm#leaveburr

>Also, we have not inspected the lower hive body for 4 weeks now. I am curious if we should do that now.

You have brood and room, why bother them?  You can, for your education, if you like.

>Yes you say? Great. How? One of the suggestions I read is to do the following...Is this correct?

Yes.  An empty box, a bottom board, a flipped over inner cover or whatever will do to set the top box on.

>What to do if we find supercede cells or swarm cells? From what I read here, we should do nothing. Is that the consensus?

That's two questions.  What would I do if I found supercedure cells?  Nothing.  What would I do if I found warm cells?  Split.  If you don't they will do the split for you and half of them will leave.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesswarmcontrol.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslazy.htm#stopcuttingswarmcells
http://www.bushfarms.com/beessplits.htm
http://www.beesource.com/pov/dick/simple.htm

[sbashpet]

Thank you Michael.  I really appreciate your comments/advice.