I need some advice on how to successfully develop a two week old swarm that
I have captured.  The background: Some neighbors called and had a swarm,
about two to three weeks old, exposed on the second story in their eves.
After spending a considerable amount of time removing the combs, one by one,
I did manage to take a lot of the swarm, including the queen, and put it in
a brood chamber.  They already had capped brood, eggs, pollen and honey.
This was a full blown hive.  My problem - the sections of comb, mostly brood
comb, are just arranged in a pile inside the hive.  The combs are of course
very fragile when not suspended from something.  I have tried to put some
between frames (some drawn, others foundation) to support them, but for the
most part, it is just a pile of brood comb in the middle of the hive body.
I am not sure how to save all this brood comb (to allow the colony to build)
and at the same time have the hive start building into a regular 10-frame
brood box.  Has anyone experienced this type of situation and have some
suggestions?  I am located in the western part of Oregon (near Portland).
 
Rick Grossman