Supers On/What about Inspection

[Acebird]

I had to smash the comb against the walls of the hive (probly killing bees in the prossess) to get all the frames to fit. 
gww

Ouch, don't do that.  One of those bees could be the queen.  It is better to take the comb out and slice it back dumping the honey back into the hive.  You have a good attitude gww.  You will learn in time.

[gww]

Ace

Ouch, don't do that.  One of those bees could be the queen.  It is better to take the comb out and slice it back dumping the honey back into the hive.  You have a good attitude gww.  You will learn in time.

Foundationless is going to take getting used to.  I was thinking that the fat combs where pure suger water or honey and no brood.  I was hoping to be lucky and the queen would not be on a honey frame.  I had given all three hives about 9 lbs each of suger water before inspection and now have quit feeding again.

It has been over 90 degrees every day forever and so I want to get in early and just long enough to see if they have some stores, were still building comb, and if the one had brood.  I had read some where that sometimes after making thick comb the bees would chew it back down to correct bee space.  I thought I would croud them against the wall and see.  I had also fliped a partial built comb which will crowd it against some already built comb.  The bees do over half of the frames strait and good but as they get to the other side of the frames it starts bowing into the other empty part to the frame next to it.  I smash it a bit with the putty knife but don't go to far because of how hot it always is lately.

I read the bees eat the wide comb back but also read that incorrect bee space makes it hard to cool the hive in hot weather.  I read a lot and it is all quite confusing.

I have been thinking that the only way I will ever really get good strait comb will be if they ever make an excess that I can harvest and then I will smash it strait and cut down and slowly start replacing the worst stuff.  There will be no excess this year though. 

Over all foundationless is going ok and I will learn what to tolerate and what not to.  I don't know what the hell I am doing and so taking stuff out of the hive and then putting it back is intimidating.  There was a time I thought of moving a frame of brood to speed up the smaller hives but the bigg hive is just only on the edge of winter survive size and I don't have drawn comb to give back to be filled with brood and the bees are pretty much filling what they have as they build.

I couldn't tell you if they are doing good or bad and so I figure I will know more after winter.  I am going to get the guts at some time to remove a fat comb and cut it down and see how it goes.  Thanks for the advice.  I will say this.  I always just looked for capped brood to judge if things are ok.  On this last look I did finally see some larva of differrent size.  I was mostly looking for brood and looking to see if they where filling the laying area with sugar water.  First time of seeing larva when it wasn't being pointed out to me by someone experianced.  I am guessing that is progress.

It seems when I type a responce that I am really selfish in my replies and explaine in a me, me, me, fassion.  I am probly that way a bit and this is why I always steal other poeples topics or take threads off topic.  For this I am sorry but don't know of a differrent way to comunicate.  I ask the origional poster for forgiveness.

Thanks for the advice.
gww

[Duffydog]

I agree with Acebird and Michael.There comes  point where it is not advisable to continue disturbing the hive. If you have supers on and they are filling they hive is probably doing well. You should have checked before placing supers and where I live it is rather late to do much of anything about a failing hive. I don't use chemicals but if there is an issue it is probably due to the beginning of mite production which you can deal with after harvesting.By watching the front of your hives and the type and degree of activity you will develop a sense of the hives health. Simply stated some hives will fail and you will have very little recourse.