Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Ashlee on July 03, 2008, 04:47:40 PM

Title: Bees not drawing out comb above excluder
Post by: Ashlee on July 03, 2008, 04:47:40 PM
Hey,

I put honey super on top of brood supers and the excluder in between the two. The bees are not drawing out any comb above the excluder, they are just walking around on frames. Please help. What should I do?

Thanks
Title: Re: Bees not drawing out comb above excluder
Post by: Robo on July 03, 2008, 04:58:57 PM
Same discussion here -> http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,16372.msg118808.html#msg118808


Basically, you need to remove the excluder until they start working the super, then you can decide whether you want to put it back on.  There needs to be something on the other side of an excluder to lure the bees thru.  Foundation won't do it.
Title: Re: Bees not drawing out comb above excluder
Post by: jimmyo on July 05, 2008, 10:17:25 AM
Leave the excluder off until you need it.  I have several in my barn waiting to be used.
Jim
Title: Re: Bees not drawing out comb above excluder
Post by: _Brenda_ on July 05, 2008, 04:57:49 PM
When I took out 1 frame to harvest the honey, I scraped the honey and comb off and put the frame in a newly added super. I put an excluder under it first, and with the lure of the honey from the frame, I had no problem getting them through the excluder and drawing comb right away.
Title: Re: Bees not drawing out comb above excluder
Post by: Wax Moth on July 05, 2008, 06:17:30 PM
Bees walking on the foundation is a good start.  They like to draw foundation that smells familiar.  If you don't have a nectar flow on, then they wont waste their energy drawing the foundation in the super.  If you think there is a flow on, or their will be son, you can spray the foundation with sugar water (syrup). After licking this off, the foundation smells more familiar and they are more likely to draw it.
Title: Re: Bees not drawing out comb above excluder
Post by: Ross on July 06, 2008, 11:03:24 AM
Feed.........