Hey Jerry-
This is getting to be a really long post.... one of those "beating a dead horse" things. But, I had a thought.
Noticed something a few posts up. These are active hives right? Just hives in the wrong place, or in a place that a person doesn't want them. Not really swarms.
I'm not sure on the answer to this, and wondering about it, so there's the thought. Don't both swarms AND active hives being moved need some brood to make them stay in the new place?
I could be wrong about that - for instance, a package of bees you buy doesn't need brood to start their hive.
Any-hoo...... if you DON"T need the brood, then you have lots of options on frames/wax/foundation. And if so, then yes, you can use just strips of wax for starters on the frames. Certainly not the most efficient way. They'll take a long time to build up the wax, but you're mostly just looking to buy some time till your frames come in the mail from somewhere, right? I've done Top Bar frames in my hive, and didn't even use a strip of foundation. I only melted a little bit of wax onto the top bar - and only on about half of them. It's alot more work for the bees. I'd much rather use foundation when I can. But in a pinch, I'd use top bars.
:?: The basic thing I'm getting at, is what makes the bees STAY in the hive you placed them in? (Not so much asking you Jerry, but just dropping that question out for ANYONE to answer.) With a swarm, I know they really want some brood in there to make them stay. Maybe it's not a full requirement, but very helpful. I've read of people starting a swarm in a box with no brood, but I believe they used SOMETHING to make it SMELL like an active hive so the bees would think it's a good home. I even read of someone taking brood and comb, smashing it up, putting it in a cheesecloth sack, and laying it in the new hive box. They said this would actually draw a swarm into the box.
For my own experience, we tried to hive a swarm with bare foundation, and the bees wouldn't stay. So is it different with an active hive that is caught?
Beth