Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

I plan to move all bees from the hive into new deep supers,meaning cut all combs including brood and honey and secure them to new frames,9-1/4" for new langstroth supers.Do i use rubber bands or cotton twine? I do not think i would be able to put the combs into frames if i wired them before moving. Welcome all suggestions.

.
I am sure that bees bite your cotton string away.

Why would you cut them out ? Let the bees build new and keep moving the ones you dont want out farther. Then take them out and let the bees finish robbing  them.

Because bees are in section of oak log.

I see..

Am I correct to think you are basically doing a cutout from a log hive to a Langstroth? When doing a cutout, I hold the comb in the frame with rubber bands. The bees will attach the comb to the frames, and will remove the rubber bands themselves.

Thanks i will look for large rubber bands,do you think the bee will leave until they are attached to frames.

If you use #64 rubber bands they almost always attach the comb before getting through the rubber band. #32 bands work pretty well too but they can chew through them faster.

Scott

Hey thanks Scott i will keep that in mind, i wont have to worry to much for a while we had 3" of snow here this morning.But when spring gets here and 60 plus temps things will start happening! I do not even have my bee suit Yet,but have some hives built and waiting.Will post some pics of oak log first chance i get.They seem to be wintering very well, we had a 62 degree day 2 weeks ago and i put out some sugar and they just ignored it,i think they have plenty of honey stores.

They will definitely chew out the cotton string...

Hmm, which will they chew out the fastest...the rubber bands or cotton string???  I figure since both will get chewed out, the one that lasts the longest might be better for giving the bees more time to secure the comb to the frame.  It looks like for "ease of use" that the rubber bands win out, though.   ?? ??

Ed

Both go quickly...

On the one and only hive removal I did, I used rubber bands. A week after hiving them the rubber bands were still on the frames and the comb was attached on all four sides, so I dont think you have to worry about the bees removing the bands to quickly, infact, I didnt know that the bees would remove the string or rubber bands and I ended up removing them myself after a week, of course I made sure that they were attached!

I think I would be more inclined to use cotton string as it seems that it would be faster and I could get the brood comb back into the new hive quicker, rubber bands are just awkward to work with with gloves on!!

Watch some of the removal videos. JP and others will show how to use the rubber bands. The bees will eventually remove the rubber bands. But not until the comb is attached. At least that is the way it worked for me last year.