Straighten Comb on Foundationless Frames

[rail]

I had to straighten comb on frames 1 - 5 the last 2" to 5" at the top bar. Cut with a knife and centered with frame guide. "Some of the cells got deformed and had eggs in them, :("?

The house bees were readily re-attaching the comb to the top bar. The Queen was on one of the top bars of a partially drawn frame and well protected, amazing to see that!

"I did not like doing this for the first time, I don't have a mentor close by with foundationless experience!" The bees let me do it without a fuss and no smoke, docile! I would assume the deformed cells, from manipulating the comb, with eggs will be taken care of by the house bees?

Learning by doing!

[Michael Bush]

One good comb leads to another.  If they are brood it will probably work fine.  The same thing on honey may not hold up.

[T Beek]

I guess there's little worse than killing off some brood when straightening out comb :(.  Hate to do it but it remains a neccessary drawback to foundationless beekeeping.  I have one colony in a LONG HIVE again this season and three colonies in Langs.  Seems to me the LONG HIVE has been drawing out the straightest comb after using it for last 3 years.  Any studies on this?

thomas

[caticind]

No studies at all on long hives that I know of...anecdotally I have seen no difference in the quality and straightness of comb between Lang-with-foundation, foundationless-Lang, and foundationless-Long-Hive.  As long as empty frames go in between two straight drawn combs, no problems.

[FRAMEshift]

I guess there's little worse than killing off some brood when straightening out comb
thomas

You sure are right about that!  We had some brood comb get too hot while we were transporting a hive.  The comb fell off the frames and we had to tie it back into a frame.  Little golden yellow babies spilling out onto the grass.... it was awful.  It's the single worst experience I've had in beekeeping.  Much worse than getting stung.

[T Beek]

So true FRAMEshift.  Perhaps my observation hinges on my checking on the LONG HIVE more often.  I guess its the simplicity when compared w/ Langs.  My only 'operating' LH has a caught swarm in it right now with 30 frames drawn and are as pleasant as can bee.  Our Basswoods are just starting :).

thomas