New hive comb question

gkempf · April 30, 2007, 10:39:16 PM

I have 2 new package hives that i started last friday, they both built comb suspended from the inner cover down to the top of the frames. (i have a empty medium super on top so i could feed them) The foundation in the hive is the new one piece plastic, it is wax coated though and i thought it would not be a problem.
should i remove the comb and put it in empty frames to get them on the right track?

Understudy · April 30, 2007, 10:41:16 PM

You should be fine with what you have.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

Jerrymac · May 01, 2007, 02:17:35 AM

Understudy,

Did you read what was written? The bees drew the comb off the inner cover, not the frames.

If the comb has eggs/brood in it you can carefully cut it loose and place in an empty frame. Hold it in with rubber bands.

As for the feeder you should have placed the inner cover over the bottom box and placed the feeder over the hole in the inner cover. Then put the top on.

tillie · May 01, 2007, 08:36:43 AM

Sounds like your bees did what I posted that the Greek beekeepers appear to do on purpose! I learned a lot from rubber banding messy comb into frames - so good luck and go for it - as newbees we all learn a lot from doing something and then re-doing it!

Linda T in Atlanta

Understudy · May 01, 2007, 08:41:15 AM

Jerrymac:

It just sounded like some burr comb from the inner cover to the top of the frames. Which isn't a big deal, it can either be left (I would) or scraped off.
The bigger question it seemed was on the foundation. Which should be fine. I should have made a clearer answer.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

Jerrymac · May 01, 2007, 11:29:28 AM

I could be wrong. I am reading it that gkempf has an empty super on top of the bottom box and then the cover on top of that making it a whole frame worth of comb built in the vast empty space.

Understudy · May 01, 2007, 07:15:02 PM

Quote from: Jerrymac on May 01, 2007, 11:29:28 AM
I could be wrong. I am reading it that gkempf has an empty super on top of the bottom box and then the cover on top of that making it a whole frame worth of comb built in the vast empty space.

Hmm, I reread it again and it could go either way. I thought the inner cover was held down by the feeder jar on top of the frames. And the feeder jar was in a super.

Maybe the author of the orginal post could clarify a bit.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

ZuniBee · May 01, 2007, 07:28:35 PM

Quote from: Jerrymac on May 01, 2007, 02:17:35 AM
As for the feeder you should have placed the inner cover over the bottom box and placed the feeder over the hole in the inner cover. Then put the top on.

You put the inner cover on top of the bottom box and then the hive top feeder on top of the inner cover and then the telescopic top on the feeder? Man that would make things a lot easier for me.

To make sure this is alright because if it is I am going to do it! -

Hive body with frames
Inner cover on top of hive body
hive top feeder on top of inner cover
Telescopic lid on top of feeder

Is that better than the feeder on the hive and the inner cover on the feeder then the top?

gkempf · May 01, 2007, 10:20:11 PM

Sorry everyone, i didn't explain my problem very good,
i have a bottom deep brood box with 10 all plastic frames, on top of that i have an empty medium super, then a inner top cover then the telescoping top cover. and yes they built comb in the vast area in between, I can see now that i should have had the inner top cover on top of the deep box then the feeder over the hole... What was i thinking??

Understudy · May 01, 2007, 10:32:39 PM

You gave to much space to the bees without frames. Bees like to build from the top down if they can. You will need to cut the comb out and put it empty frames with rubber bands.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

buzzbee · May 01, 2007, 10:35:32 PM

What was i thinking??
I'm thinking you learned the hard way and won't do that again! :lol:
No worries,it's how we learn.

Jerrymac · May 01, 2007, 11:17:25 PM

Quote from: ZuniBee on May 01, 2007, 07:28:35 PM
To make sure this is alright because if it is I am going to do it! -

Hive body with frames
Inner cover on top of hive body
hive top feeder on top of inner cover
Telescopic lid on top of feeder

Yep. That is it. One problem I had however is the day time temps and night time temps are so different here that during the heating of the day the expanding air in the jar caused it to drip all over the bees. I then set it to the side of the opening in the inner cover so it then puddled on the cover and the bees would take care of it from there.

Michael Bush · May 02, 2007, 11:12:01 PM

http://www.bushfarms.com/images/BroodNestInFeeder.JPG

You have something like this.

I'd do a cutout.

TwT · May 03, 2007, 07:43:00 AM

Quote from: gkempf on May 01, 2007, 10:20:11 PM
Sorry everyone, i didn't explain my problem very good,
i have a bottom deep brood box with 10 all plastic frames, on top of that i have an empty medium super, then a inner top cover then the telescoping top cover. What was i thinking??

why would you do that? if you have the frames for that medium, cut out comb and put into frames, stretch rubber bands around frame to hold comb in the frame.. you cant give bee's open space like that, they will fill it with comb every time.