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BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: wayne on May 28, 2011, 08:12:20 PM

Title: ferals and hive dimensions
Post by: wayne on May 28, 2011, 08:12:20 PM
  I have all ferals. They are smaller than most domestics and when alowed to draw natural comb they do not seem to like the spacing of a standard hive. They will draw comb from the starter strip, and then draw a second comb in spots from the edge of the frame. It is almost like the spacing is almost twice what they feel they need.
  Does anyone else have this problem?
Title: Re: ferals and hive dimensions
Post by: Kathyp on May 28, 2011, 08:22:04 PM
no, but do you have your frames pushed tight together?
Title: Re: ferals and hive dimensions
Post by: bailey on May 28, 2011, 09:24:03 PM
and all facing the same way?
bailey
Title: Re: ferals and hive dimensions
Post by: Michael Bush on May 30, 2011, 10:48:10 AM
Yes.  And I plane the end bars down to make them 1 1/4" and put 11 in a 10 frame box.
Title: Re: ferals and hive dimensions
Post by: JP on May 30, 2011, 11:12:20 AM
My take is you haven't had them long and they are still building. In a good flow they will draw comb out rather nicely like this: (http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/7043/img0927pd.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/24/img0927pd.jpg/)

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...JP
Title: Re: ferals and hive dimensions
Post by: Larry Bees on May 30, 2011, 12:36:22 PM
Please explain to me what Feral Bees are. Larry
Title: Re: ferals and hive dimensions
Post by: hardwood on May 30, 2011, 12:38:20 PM
Feral=non domesticated---wild.

Scott
Title: Re: ferals and hive dimensions
Post by: Bee-Bop on May 30, 2011, 12:53:49 PM
Quote from: Larry Bees on May 30, 2011, 12:36:22 PM
Please explain to me what Feral Bees are.

In a; natural state - wild - undomesticated etc.

NOT bees in a man made hive, being cared for by man !!

Latin; fera - a wild beast

Bee-Bop
Title: Re: ferals and hive dimensions
Post by: Larry Bees on May 30, 2011, 12:58:12 PM
If I had a swarm of bees leave one of my hives and go live in a tree for a year and then I did a cut out and put them back in a hive, would they be ferals? Larry
Title: Re: ferals and hive dimensions
Post by: Kathyp on May 30, 2011, 02:05:42 PM
but....feral and survivor are not necessarily the same  :evil:  Larrys bees would be feral, but i wouldn't consider them survivors after only one year.
Title: Re: ferals and hive dimensions
Post by: Larry Bees on May 30, 2011, 02:39:41 PM
OK, thank you! Can you tell that I'm "NEW" to this.  :?  Larry
Title: Re: ferals and hive dimensions
Post by: wadehump on May 30, 2011, 03:10:52 PM
my hives are all ferals cutouts and swarms. 18 hives  and yes they will draw on a starter and then add another 1 on the same bar
Title: Re: ferals and hive dimensions
Post by: wayne on May 30, 2011, 09:04:55 PM
  Perhaps I should have used the term survivors.  This is my 6th year and it seems that for every frame with a single well drawn comb there is one with 2 combs on at least most of it.
  I was wondering if the equipment makers might consider a more narrow frame for these bees. Or others were looking in that direction.
Title: Re: ferals and hive dimensions
Post by: iddee on May 30, 2011, 10:11:48 PM
Sometimes they like to make long combs, too.



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