Swarm not building well

[orvette1]

Last year I picked up a swarm. They haven't built well in the frames. Every time I peel off the bad build they put it back even worse. The queen isn't laying well either. Don't say replace the queen, I can't find her. Unless she had a dot I can't find them. Any ideas about what to do with them and their bad building?

[kedgel]

Are you using foundation?  I've never had problems with weird comb with foundation.  If left to themselves, they'll build an awful distorted mess that will be unusable.  If you don't have any drawn comb, use foundation and the worst they'll do is eat some of the edges out and not draw it all the way to the edge of the frame.

Kelly

[Kathyp]

do you have your frames pushed together?  did you give them any kind of guide?  i very often throw a swam in a box with no foundation, but i try to at least give them a frame or two with starter strips.  don't have a problem to often, but every once in a bit you'll get a hive that draws messy comb no matter what.

not pushing the frames tight together is a common mistake.  easy to fix.

learn to find your queens. all it takes is some practice.  pretty soon, you'll recognize the behavior of the bees around her and she'll be easy to spot.

[b reeves]

Take your time and find her, sometimes it helps to not use smoke, look at the frames that contain eggs that is where she is normally then pinch her, have the hive make another queen, the new queen should make the hive right
Bob

[JP]

Going on what information has been provided, as mentioned guides often do help as a sheet or two of foundation to get them going correctly but some just build ugly comb.

If the queen is a dud, I would pinch her and use a queen from that hive if, at one time she was a good producer. If not use different stock to requeen from.


...JP

[doak]

When I can't find the queen, after the third try. That is when an excluder comes in handy.
I place an empty deep on a bottom board next to the colony being searched. Place the x-cluder on then put another empty box on top. Take the boxes one by one and place on top, use be-go or what ever means you prefer to run the bees down, down. Have another empty box the size to fit the frames. Take the frames out one by one, brush the bees off.  once the last frame is removed Inspect the x-cluder. If you have more than one brood box, just repeat.
Most of the bees will go through the x-cluder, except the few in a cluster that usually accompanies the queen. As a last resort to fine the queen, this has always worked for me, unless she is a midget queen bee. :roll: :)doak

[hardwood]

Neat trick doak!

Scott