Migrating from DN4 frames in a 14x12 brood box

[itsbruce]

I'm looking after a National hive with a 14x12 brood box. About 4 weeks ago, I transferred a a 5-frame NUC of Buckfasts into it; the NUC came with DN4 frames, while the frames placed around them were 14x12 (new foundation, not drawn - the frames I inherited from the previous owner of the hive hadn't been stored properly and were infested with wax moth). Obviously, I'd like to have entirely 14x12 frames in the brood box, so I need to think now about how to achieve that migration, even if the process shouldn't start for a while. Advice welcomed.

There is a complication...

I've had a feeder on top of the crown board and the bees have been drawing out the foundation at a reasonable pace; I'd expect them to finish the job in about another 3 weeks. But CBPV has shown up in the last few days - small numbers at the moment but I should be putting a super on there asap to let the bees spread out some and hopefully halt any significant spread of infection.

So I'm also wondering if I should forge about the migration entirely until the colony has gotten past the virus or take advantage of the situation, since I'm going to be expanding the hive now anyway and could do creative things with ekes.

 

[Dadnlad]

Get the drawn 14x12 frames into the centre of the broodnest for the queen to lay in, then begin swapping the old dn4's with the other 14x12's as they are drawn
Let them concentrate on drawing the new brood frames before you think of supering

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Putting a super on won't cure CBPV

 

[birdsandbees]

Putting a super on won't cure CBPV

I agree, however as its transferred by close contact from bee to bee would giving them space to spread out not potentially reduce the transfer rate?? purely hypothetical of course.

Having experience CBPV twice in the past they will either pull through or they wont.

 

[itsbruce]

Two weeks since the CBPV manifested, the colony seems to have shrugged it off. Last weekend, I had shaking bees crawling all around the garden and while inspecting I could see nibbling attacks on shiny bees inside the hive. Small numbers, but worrying.

This weekend, not a sign of it.

So now I just have the DN4->Jumbo frame migration to plan. There's now only one undrawn 14x12 frame, so I can start swapping the larger frames into the centre.