Hello all! Got a question for the group. My bees don't understand how to build comb on a frame. I have a super with 10 frames. I had a starter strip on the frames and they wouldn't build. so I removed the strips and waited...nothing. So I put foundation on the frames. They did a little buildup and made holes in the foundation. They build but won't stay on one from but will join several together. Help!
Spank them lil buggers! :-D I never had this problem yet.
Do you have any drawn comb that you can put in the hive to give the the idea? Normally, if you seed them with one good frame in the middle they'll draw a good frame on either side of that.
Is this a small or weak hive? may be they can't afford to send out too many foragers, they are having to stand on the brood to keep it warm and nurse it along.
Are you sure they have a queen? Have seen queenless hives that just lag behind with no real drive for what to do since the leader is missing.
Using the starter strips, they don't need to hang down very much 1/4" to 1/2" is plenty, some have had better luck by putting bees wax on the strip to get them started.
You might try feeding them 1 to 1 syrup. With them chewing up foundation to build comb with sounds like not much is coming in. There should be plenty of things blooming around you now and that it why I asked the questions.
Is this hive a package or a swarm or what. I would vote on them being queenless. Were you feeding them also.
It is March. It won't be WARM enough to draw much comb for a while... they also need to NEED the comb to build it, which means they have to have their stomachs full...
Hi Folks,
Freshman here.
Just one small thing of many: Make sure your hive is level from side to side. Make sure it tilts very slightly forward also.
The level is due to the fact that bees "hang down", and "build down" from the starter strip, perpendicular to the ground. The comb will be built straight up and down. Combs will "grow" into adjacent frames if hive is not level.
The forward tilt aids in the flow of any water from inside the box to the outside. The comb will always be perpendicular to the ground.
I went foundationless last year. I have nice comb, but there were a few spurs of comb built along the way that had to be pushed or cut to keep things in line.
Salvo
"The forward tilt aids in the flow of any water from inside the box to the outside. The comb will always be perpendicular to the ground."
Those of use with screened bottom boards don't need the forward tilt to resolve this issue. I go level in both directions.
"I went foundationless last year. I have nice comb, but there were a few spurs of comb built along the way that had to be pushed or cut to keep things in line."
When I used foundation I had these same problems. In fact, the biggest problem I had was with plastic foundation. The bees would try to build a comb between the two sheets of plastic foundation, welding the frames together with wax. This was my first clue that they didn't like plastic very much.
Thank you all for the advice and comments. One hit home the best and that was the hive levelness. That will be the first item to address. I looked at some of the comb I had left in after the cutout last year and took some pictures. The bottom box is a total mess with frames stuck together. The second box had a few pieces rubberbanded in and they had added enough to remove most of the rubberbands. I blew the pictures up and could clearly see larva. The hive is quite active and I see them bringing almost white pollen and some that is quite dark. I am feeding them honey from their original hive. Once again, thank you for the advice.