Finally checked my friends hives

[bwallace23350]

I mentioned earlier that I was going to work and keep up a friend of mines hives since he died a few weeks back. Well I finally went into these hives and what a mess. He has put boxes with no frames on top of boxes with frames and it was just wild uncontrolled comb.  I did not know hat to do so I cut some honey out and just stacked boxes with frames either on top of them or under them. I was way beyond my ability to handle such a mess. Other than thats the bees were loaded with bees. Any suggestions.

[ed/La.]

You could put it above queen excluder and let any brood hatch out then harvest. Perhaps an escape board so there will be few bees in there then treat it like a cut out work slow with long knife. I prefer serrated knife.. Another option is to leave it for the bees. Clean it up next spring when there is less bees and less honey.

[Kathyp]

I did that once by accident.  I just treated it like a cutout and banded the brood into frames.   It worked out fine.  I won't tell you the story of how I did such a stupid thing 

If the wonky stuff is mostly honey you can take it or feed it back although you have to be careful of robbing.  Crush and strain is the only way to handle a honey mess like that if you want to extract.  This early there should be enough flow so that you don't have to worry too much about removing it.

[Acebird]

Split the hive between the box with no frames and the box with frame and add a new box with frames between.  Let the mess on top get full of honey then pull off and extract.

[Beeboy01]

I had a hive like that, inherited it from my dad after his death. Even had a glass 1/2 gallon glass milk jug left in it which must of been a feeder that was full of honey comb. Crush and strain  was the only thing that worked on the free standing comb, even tried a grape press which was a waste of time. Can't remember what happened to the milk jug, think I heated it up till the wax melted and fed the honey back to the bees. 

[bwallace23350]

We did make a split. As of the next day the bees were still split. These rae true survivor bees. They have probably never seen treatment.

[CoolBees]

Split the hive between the box with no frames and the box with frame and add a new box with frames between.  Let the mess on top get full of honey then pull off and extract.

Thats what I learned to do. It takes a while - weeks or months, but it's much easier to deal with only honey in that mess of comb. Had it happen my 1st yr. I left an empty super on, and they filled it full of comb.

[Acebird]

We did make a split. As of the next day the bees were still split.

Maybe I shouldn't have used the word "split".  I was suggesting separating the hive to put a new box of frames in not split the hive into two hives.  If these bees are wonderful it will not take very long for the brood to hatch out and backfill with honey.  They should also draw beautiful comb in the box of foundation below.  I would not do natural cell in that box below because it would be a pain to manage.  Drawn comb would make it even quicker.