When I got my bees I originally stuck the queen between the frames, like I had read on so many sites... I'm not doing that again. Are they supposed to be building comb all over the place like this?
(http://candiebees.weebly.com/uploads/4/8/9/7/48973367/7903232_orig.jpg)(http://candiebees.weebly.com/uploads/4/8/9/7/48973367/9779552_orig.jpg)
What is this thing??
(http://candiebees.weebly.com/uploads/4/8/9/7/48973367/1431799686.png)
Will this bumble bee invade their space? Or was it just being nibby?
https://www.youtube.com/embed/jc7eaDhrXcc
On a side note.. the honey is awesome!
Looks like a spacing issue. The frames look to be too far apart (How long did you leave the queen cage in between frames?) and it looks like the top board was on upside down (there is a "this side up" message that seems to have been missed printed on the top board)....but then again I am a newb too so someone else needs to verify ;-)
Yup - you had it on upside down. The other way doesn't give them that space. Clean it up, flip it over and consider giving them a super. Looks like they are ready to move up.
Ladybug larva? http://bugguide.net/node/view/195725
When I open my TBH, the Carpenter Bees can smell the sweetness and come after it. Lots of zooming.
Ty! I had no idea it was upside down.
As for he lady bug larva... Ewh.
I have my frames pushed together. But Iput the queen cage in for a day or two. And as soon as they started building comb.. Built it where the cage wwas :(
Careful not to damage the queen when pulling frames with burr comb. I smoke the end frame and wall, to chase her out of there, in case she is on that frame, which most likely not, but you never know. Then carefully pull that frame, always looking for her. Set that frame inside an empty box. Next, slide the next frame over and smoke them off the burr comb. As soon as they run off it, I scrape it off. And do all the frames that way until clean. If it is on the sides, I pull the fram and scrape them clean by slowly scraping and if bees are on the wax, just fling them off.
I always clean the burr off and sometimes scrape the fat honey supers if they are making it too fat. I think it is just easier to clean it up every time I'm in there.
The inner cover was only on upside down if you DONT want them to have an upper entrance.. I use all my commercial style covers with the notch side down.. but... the shims on that inner cover looks to be somewhat thick. 5/16 is what I build mine to be.
Having said that... it also, as already mentioned.. looks like they need more space.. give them room to grow and they will not build in the marginal areas as much.