For the first time in many years, my bees have decided not to build out comb. They have their brood boxes complete, I then put on their first honey super (waxed Rite-Cell® frames). That was 3.5 weeks ago, I checked today and they have not even completed one frame (although there was many bees in the super). Any ideas as to how to get the girls starting to build out the frames, as I said, this is the first tome it has happened to me and another beek is experiencing the same thing? -Mike
feed them?
I'm guessing that if they think there's a flow, they'll draw out the comb to make room.
I pretty much can only get comb drawn in the spring so I always get my extra comb drawn then. I haven't tried this personally but I hear good results from trickle feeding. Thin syrup with 2 or 3 holes in the lid. Not enough to backfill the brood nest but enough to keep them drawing comb.
I've also heard feeding 2/1 will make them build a place to store it.
As I said I have no experience here so take it for what it's worth. I do know that if they think they need it they will build it. If they don't think they need it they won't.
I'm having the same problem. This is my third year. Lost them all to the polar vortex and started with 2 new nucs at the beginning of June. Did an inspection in July and put a medium super, foundationless, on each hive. I've been feeding 1:1 since I got them. We've had a good flow and the goldenrod is blooming here. I checked the top boxes yesterday to see if I needed to add supers and neither hive had done anything with the top box. I'm still feeding, but getting worried.
If I am feeding and they are not drawing comb I will put a couple of empty frames on the outside edges of the brood nest and move the two completed frames up to the center of the next box.
There needs to be plenty of bees, a flow or feeding, (or both) and the lower boxes need to be nearly completed so they NEED the space.
If your using deeps and have mediums that you need drawn.. I'm sorry, I cant help much.. I use all the same size boxes so I don't have to worry about swapping frames around when I need to.
This has not been a good year so far. I pulled less than half of the honey that I pulled on my first pull last year. I talked to a friend who is a commercial beek and he had the same problem with the gallberry this spring.
Jim
I have one hive out of four that is currently drawing comb. They have completed a med super in about 2.5 weeks. It is a july started nuc that filled one deep and I slapped another medium on top. The other one started at the same time is a little weaker and has not drawn any in the med. The other two older hives started in may have not been drawing comb for about 3-4 weeks now.