Blair,
 
   I live in Maryland, a slight bit south of Baltimore.  At this time of year
and with your hive condition, I would feed them a 1:1 sugar syrup. This is
especially important if their honey stores are down as you indicate.  This
will also help them build up the colony and  stimulate brood rearing.
 
   As for drawing out the comb in the super, I wouldn't worry about it now.
 Are you expecting to get a surplus honey crop from them?  You wont be this
year.  You should remove the super as the bees will start chewing on the
foundation in the frames.
 
   You might also want to consider a second hive.  I didn't want two hives
when I first started.  I learned the hard way.  I lost my colony last year,
due to mites.  I am not saying I wouldn't have lost two colonies if I had had
two, but I might have been able to "salvage" one colony out of the two.  This
year I have two hives - one was much weaker than the other.  This weaker hive
was given a boost with a frame of brood from the stronger hive.  If you have
two hives, your chances are a little better than with one.
 
   I'll leave the rest of your questions to someone else who knows more than
I do.  I've only been beekeeping for three years.  This is my first year of
surplus honey - and only one of the two hives had a surplus.
 
   Do you know if there is a mite problem in your area?  If you're not sure,
you might want to contact your Extension Office, a local beekeeping club, or
a local beekeeper.  Now is the time to start looking for and treating for
mites.  There were some large losses of colonies due to mites in Maryland
last year.  It is a serious problem, one that needs to be given full
attention.
 
Laura
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