I just inherited some abandoned beehive boxes with crummy comb (all brace
comb, etc, sitting on the ground, no top - you get the picture) and was
finally going to move it a few nights ago (been full of robbers in the
daytime) when I discovered that a swarm of some very nice bees (very
gentle disposition) had moved in, with young brood in progress, etc!
 
 So, with a new top and bottom I moved it this morning to  my alternate
apiary 7 miles away. In the meantime, I had left another single deep
super with old comb, in slightly better condition on the porch of my
barn - intending to move that by 10 this morning before robbers could
get to it. Got there at 10:30, and lo and behold, a new swarm was in the
process of moving in. They've been at it all day, cleaning up this box -
disposing of dead bees and garbage. I slid a top and bottom on - now
there's a bunch of orientation fights going on. It's Swarming time here
in Western Washington.
 
(fortunately, nome of these swarms were from my hives, which are all new
colonies.)
 
Casey Burns