I have built 10 wedge top frames for my deep supers. I took the wedge portion and nailed it in the center to form an edge for the bees to start their comb with.
I have read that putting some beeswax along the bottom edge will encourage them to start the comb in the center of the frame.
Now that I have a heckuva mess on one frame.... is their an easy way to put the wax on the edge? I have tried a modeling paint brush... and now I have wax EVERYWHERE. The edge has some on it too!
Sorry for the newbee question. (10 years ago I was taught to throw foundation in there and call it a day. This natural comb thing has me intrigued)
Thanks
Mark
Would rubbing a brick of it along the sharp edge work?
Otherwise, when I'm playing with wax, I melt it in the microwave in a pyrex measuring cup. I'm thinking you could melt one dish full, then drizzle along the beveled edge, hanging over another empty dish. The drips would be caught in the dish below.
Or, do you have any syringes lying around? If you can spare one, suck up the melted wax and apply it on the edges with a syringe. Probably have to throw it out afterwards, though. :-P
Good luck!
Don't worry about it. They will build on the guide even if you don't wax it. But, If they build any crooked comb straighten it out right away or it will cause the next one to be built crooked. And the next one, and the one after that... Personally, If I had it to do over I would use foundation until I had a few frames drawn nice and straight. But that's just my opinion.
Quote from: David LaFerney on April 22, 2010, 11:36:17 PM
Don't worry about it. They will build on the guide even if you don't wax it. But, If they build any crooked comb straighten it out right away or it will cause the next one to be built crooked. And the next one, and the one after that... Personally, If I had it to do over I would use foundation until I had a few frames drawn nice and straight. But that's just my opinion.
I have pierco plastic frames... would alternating them force the bees to build their own comb nice and straight?
My ultimate goal is to see if I can get these gals on natural comb cell size and on their own wax. I am going to try to get them totally chemical free (screened bottom boards is about all the 'help' I want to give)
Thanks for the advice.
Mark
I don't know if that would work or not - it might, but I've never used foundation. I think the word on the street is that they will only draw comb on plastic foundation if they don't have any other choice, so assuming that is correct what you would have to do is fill the box with your piercos and then after they draw some of them out you could swap the undrawn ones for foundationless frames. Once you have a couple of nice straight frames they will draw foundationless beautifully between two of them. Hey, your bees might build perfect straight comb on anything - mine don't.
BTW, you should plan to check your mite drop using a sticky board every week or so - especially later in the summer. And just think about what you will do if in a 24 hour period in August there are so many that you can't count them. It's always good to have a backup plan.
alternating frame types isn't usually a good idea. It would probably make them draw straighter comb on the foundationless, but they would mostly likely draw the foundationless combs out extra thick and then you wouldn't be able to pull them for inspection without making a mess. You might try placing a single frame with foundation in to encourage them about orienting it correctly and then remove it once they have started drawing it out, or you could just leave it in.
I alternated frames with wood starter strips in between foundation filled frames and so far no problems.
1. i never try to apply wax to the comb guides...depending on temp and such it will attach to the wood differently (and you don't want comb attached to poorly attached wax attached to the comb guide).
2. they will not build out extra thick comb to start out with...remember, they are mostly drawing comb to raise worker brood when the package is starting out. it's honey storage comb that gets drawn out extra thick.
3. no need to alternate with foundation...in fact, this will break up the cluster that would otherwise be working on several combs at once.
deknow