I have read about using hair clips to attach honeycomb to topbars.
I was wondering if you coould use 1by2 fence wire to hold honeycomb to the topbars.
I thought of bending it in a C shape with the 1 inch side across the top and the
2 inch side hanging down.
1/2"
--------
l
l 2"
l
l
i
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1"
you would use 2 per topbar one on each side
Is there a problem with this idea
The only problem I see is the wire might pull through anything but the darkest brood comb/dark wax.
I have seen pictures of where holes were drilled though the top bar at an angle and dow rod/shisckabob was used to stick down into the comb to stake it to the top bar.
Hope this helps
gww
Hi Johnny,
I have a couple of these made up for when the time comes (so far so good though.) The idea seems much simpler than anything else I've seen. I have a feeling the bees would propolise the wire heavily between the adjacent top bars but I don't think it would be unmanageable. Time will tell I'm sure!
Link: http://cookevillebeekeepers.com/04/wire-mesh-tie-in-device-for-honey-bee-comb (http://cookevillebeekeepers.com/04/wire-mesh-tie-in-device-for-honey-bee-comb)
Using 'fence wire' is a good method. I have used light gauge wire mesh with an inch by inch grid in the past thusly:
Cut the wire mesh to fit outside the frame.
Every few inches across the mesh, cut the mesh at the point where the wires cross leaving four unsupported 'spikes'. With the mesh lying flat on the table, bend these spikes upwards, so that you now have four spikes sticking up towards you. Perform this in several places, so that there will be at minimum four clusters of four spikes spread across the frame area. Try and get six if possible.
Then, staple the wire mesh to the side of the top bar, with the spikes facing inwards - towards where the comb will be installed.
Before pushing the comb onto the spikes, tilt each spike a few degrees upwards, to help keep the comb in place.
Then push the comb onto the spikes, as near to the top of the frame as possible. It shouldn't be necessary to do anything more, but a plain sheet of mesh could always be stapled to the other side of the top bar, with them being loosely tie-wrapped together at the edges, as belt and braces. But - I have never felt the need to do that.
A week or so later, the mesh can be removed, as the bees will by then have re-attached the comb. The spiky mesh can of course, be re-used.
It might even be possible to use chicken wire, with care.
LJ
Here's some ideas
http://www.thegardenacademy.com/BK_-_Rescue_Frames.html
Thanks for all the info in the replies and the link. I now have new info in how to improve my rescue bars.
And here I thought I had a new idea. Should have know better thanks again.
>The only problem I see is the wire might pull through anything but the darkest brood comb/dark wax.
So will the hair clip...
On my TBH, after I got it built, I had a cutout. So before I did the cutout, I put sides and a bottom piece on the bars so I could rubber band or tie the comb in.
Joe D