Stupid Mistakes

[mlkdvm]

I've got a real mess and I need some advice on what I can do to salvage things.  I have had two hives for the past two years and I have done o.k. with them,  They were established hives when I got them.

This spring I started several new hives.  The first mistake I made was to use 9-frame metal spacers to place 9 frames in the hive bodies.  I used duragilt foundation.  This of course resulted in a lot of burr comb.  The second mistake I made was to place spacers or "bag feeders" on top of the hive bodies so that I could have room for pollen patties.  Then I put on the inner covers with jar feeders on top of the inner covers, surrounded by an empty hive body, and finally the outer cover.  The problem is that there is a tremendous amound of comb formation on the bottom of the inner covers.  I know that I need to get rid of the burr comb on the bottom of the inner covers, but what do I do with all of the comb and bees that are hanging off of the inner covers?  How do I separate the bees from the comb?  Should I take the frames out of the hive body, remove the 9-frame spacers and try to insert a tenth frame?  I've really made a mess of things and need some advice on what I should do to try to fix it. 

[sc-bee]

>The problem is that there is a tremendous amound of comb formation on the bottom of the inner covers.  I know that I need to get rid of the burr comb on the bottom of the inner covers, but what do I do with all of the comb and bees that are hanging off of the inner covers?

Honey filled comb i suppose on inner cover? Sounds like you needed to super. Remove the cover and hit the inner cover (side of it) sharply on the ground in front of the hive and knock the bees off to ground. They should file back in hive. Scrape the burr comb away. Save to eat if honey or feed it back to bees away from hive.

I've never used spacers in brood area only in honey supers with already drawn comb. Use ten frames in a super when drawing foundation. If that big of a mess then starting over with ten frames may be your best bet. Clean up what you can. Try to salvage what you can. Especially if it is brood. May be you can salvage some and work in some more frames to get ten.

Maybe others will have better suggestion.