One of the biggest problems I have is mice. This is probably not an issue right now as the weather is getting better not worse so the mice are looking elsewhere for housing.

Yes, you could wax the foundations and put the hive out early if you want or need to. Just add an entrance reducer or block the entrance off completely until you use it to keep the mice and small critters out.

You could use the empty hive as a "Bait Hive" to catch new swarms of bees but.. It's (probably) still to early for your local bees to swarm, so don't bother with that.

It sounds like you are using frames with plastic foundation, so put the extra wax on the plastic foundation like we talked last time.

IMPORTANT (IMHO): Replace one or two of the center plastic foundation frames with EMPTY (a.k.a. no foundation) frames, frames with just starter strips in them. So in an 8 frame hive it would go, P,P,P,E,E,P,P,P. P=Frame with plastic foundation, E=Frame with starter strip.

Empty means a frame with just starter strips (one inch "high" by one frame "wide") of wax foundation.. or.. You can also make these with just a small ridge of wax down the center of the frame (it doesn't need to be embossed with honey comb shape). The goal here is to "suggest" to the bees where to start building their comb. If you don't "suggest anything", the bees may build cross comb, a.k.a. build in the wrong direction and mess everything up.

The "Empty Frame" thinking here is, the bees need some open space to cluster and the bees don't always take to the plastic foundations right away.
I like plastic foundations, the Bees may not and if there is not enough "open space" inside the hive for the bees to cluster (because they have a plastic foundation between them), they may just fly off and look for something more suitable. So give them some open space to cluster.
This also helps get the "new bees" into "Wax Making Mode". It only takes one or two days to build out an entire frame of new comb and even less when they are building out the plastic ones. Once the bees are in Wax Making Mode they are more likely to build out the rest of the plastic foundations, but only as needed.

Caution: This new wax (without foundation) will fall right out of the frame if not handled carefully.

Beekeeping Tip: Extra frames of Empty Drawn Comb just sitting on the shelf to be used when needed are like GOLD!! So take advantage of this Wax Making Mode, because when they stop, it's hard to get them to start again.

Take advantage: To make extra frames of drawn comb, move one of drawn frames outward and replace it with un-drawn (waxed plastic or starter strips).

Note: They will only build what they NEED at that time so keep that in mind when doing this. Make sure they "need" that frame to have comb on it. They will NOT work on the frames "outside" of what the CLUSTER needs. So add the new un-drawn frames somewhere within the active cluster.

Bees do NOT like empty space between drawn comb, so they will get right to work on this new "empty" spot. You can keep doing this as long as they keep building. When there is no more "empty space" in the hive, just take these new frames (remove the outside frames first) and put them on the shelf to use later. If they have honey stored in them, leave them out where the bees can clean them up for you. Also protect them from Mice and Wax Moths.

With a STRONG hive, adding this un-drawn frame to the center of an active brood nest, between frames of brood, gets EXTRA attention from the bees, quick. But only do this with a strong hive.

Also I "learned" from a Bee Meeting, I have not substantiated this yet, that Bees prefer to build their comb in the magnetic North-South direction. So if you can, orient your hive so the frames inside are pointing North-South. With the entrance facing South if you can.

IMPORTANT: FEED THE BEES until they stop taking the feed. With a new package of bees you MUST feed them until they stop eating your food. ESPECIALLY if you need them to produce wax. It takes 20 pounds of Honey to produce 1 pound of wax. So feed feed feed.

Feeding them 1:1 or higher (a bit more sugar) should be just fine, 2:1 is too much sugar. they don't need to store it, they need to use it. Also pollen or a substitute would be good but not necessary as the bees will start to forage before the Queen has active brood that needs pollen.

Dam, I just started typing and I couldn't stop.
Good luck and let me know.

Post your progress, I'd like to see it.