My first bar was abnormal in its width leading the bees to build combs that are not centered. As a result I cant examine w out scrapping brood comb off. I hear that the bees have enough time to store for the winter as long as they begin before July 4. Does it make sense for me to pull off all my combs to extract honey if I leave the queen cell and brood attached and centered with a hair clip?
As far as you scrapping brood off when you examine your hive. I have some empty bars at far end, when I take the top off I remove 2 or 3 empty bars that gives room to move bars down 2 or 3 at a time. Then seperate those and put out the bars easily, work your way to first bar and then move them all back into place. And the amount of stores bees can put up for winter depends on the flow. If you extract the honey from top bars I would think they will also have comb to build. You may also say where your hives are located. Good luck with your bees.
Joe
I had the same problem with my first Top Bar Hive. It was because of the string method I saw on a video from someone and since then I started using cove molding upside down on the bars to create a peak for them to work off of and they are drawing on it beautiful cones. I have three TBH's so far and may build more. I have Langstroth hives too. I basically did a cutout of the first one and put it in a Lang hive and stared over.
Wow. Great idea on the cone moulding. I will try this.
For your wedge on the tb I take a 2x4 cut it at a 45 degree angleon the 4" side. Turn it around and do it again, cut to length, notch out ends for edge, and add sides and bottom, made a frame. With a frame, keep an eye on them if comb isn't straight and you catch it early just straighten it. While it is fairly fresh its easy to bend this way and that.
Joe