Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Shawn on April 19, 2012, 05:49:46 PM

Title: Comb missing?
Post by: Shawn on April 19, 2012, 05:49:46 PM
So I tore apart the hive that I had posted about having a funny smell. I found the medium was almost full of honey, except for two frames that no longer have brood  :-D. The top deep has some new comb and a lot of the old honey that I was worried about is now gone. The bottom deep has some frames that were packed with honey are now brood but some of the frames are missing over half the comb. Do the bees tear it out and put new comb in? Maybe I was seeing things before and there was never comb there but Im pretty sure the bottom deep was full of honey and no brood.

Capped worker cells were very patchy throughout the two deeps and medium. I saw lots of drone cells all across the tops and bottoms of each box. When I tore all the boxes apart I felt bad because there was larvae that was exposed, hoping they were all drones. Anyway all looks good except for a lot of missing comb. Tomorrow the hive will be moved out to the country with the rest and the alfalfa looks like it will start blooming soon. 5 hives total and all have two deeps and one super on them so far.
Title: Re: Comb missing?
Post by: AllenF on April 19, 2012, 11:29:19 PM
Can you get us some pics?    How big of holes?  Bees will rob out some wax from foundation to relocate when wax is needed.   Mouse damage is normally on the bottom corner of frames.   SHB and moths just tear up everything in a frame. 
Title: Re: Comb missing?
Post by: bulldog on April 19, 2012, 11:51:49 PM
i'm no expert but between the funny smell and the missing wax i'd suspect a mouse has been in there.
Title: Re: Comb missing?
Post by: Shawn on April 20, 2012, 01:44:19 PM
I should have taken photos. No mouse or moths. It just looks like someone took out big chunks out. No real big messes I found on the bottom. Maybe they didnt fill in the frame but the bees have been in the hive for 6 years.