beginner questions--thanks for the help

kinderbee · May 07, 2007, 02:24:31 AM

I began a new hive two weeks ago. I had one frame of drawn out comb and all the others just foundation. I'm wondering if I can add a frame or two of brood from a different hive without causing problems?

Also, when I bought this hive I bought a spacer insert as well as a spacing tool to help me space the frames. I didn't realize these tools would be spacing nine frames instead of the ten. What's that about? How does it work? Should I be using them?

Finally, the way I put the queen cage in caused a large space between the middle frames. I didn't take the cage out for 10 days. Now it appears I've got lots of comb built helter skelter between the two frames. I didn't pull them apart--thought I'd get some advice first. Can I pull them apart and scrape them into shape without stressing this beginning colony too much?

Thanks for the help!

buzzbee · May 07, 2007, 07:52:35 AM

Adding brood is a great way to strengthen a hive.Be sure to bring along some of the nurse bees and make sure the queen from the donor hive is not ion the brood frame.
A lot of people prefer the nine frame setup because of the thicker combs for extracting,crushing and straining etc.
I have not personally tried it but may at some point.
Some use eight frame boxes which are to be lighter to handle,but My guess would be that nine frame boxes would weigh similar to ten because of the thicker combs.
I think when it comes to harvesting you can cut uncapping by 10 percent and still get the same amount of honey.

Shizzell · May 07, 2007, 02:11:35 PM

Sorry buzzbee, but I have to defend the 10 frame hive. :lol:
Gives queen more room to lay, thus a more massive growth rate.
However, this takes longer time for them to build all 10 frames...

Kinderbee, take that piece of freecomb (as I like to call it), and show it to your friends or something. Its TERRIBLE to work with when the hives get bigger and such. Some would like to disagree. But I like my hives to be nice and organized.

Jake

Brian D. Bray · May 07, 2007, 06:52:52 PM

9 frames are fine in honey supers but not in brood chambers. Use 10 frames in a 10 frame box with brood chambers. The extra length of comb that can happen from a 9 frame set up might make the cells too deep for the queen to lay in. If you insist on using 9 frames in a 10 frame box at least have the comb drown in the 10 frame set up so that the vomb depth is correct, then space to 9 frames later.

buzzbee · May 07, 2007, 07:30:29 PM

I wasn't pushing for 9 frames. All of mine are ten. Just food for thought.

Michael Bush · May 08, 2007, 12:37:16 AM

I'd remove the spacers.

kinderbee · May 09, 2007, 12:20:16 AM

Thank you all for your advice.
I'm so impressed with this website.
I sure do appreciate you folks with so much experience taking the time to respond. Thanks again.

---I took out that "free comb" today. I felt the mistake was worth the gift of this beautiful, large lobe of comb. I'm a teacher. It'll be fun to share it with my students.

Sean Kelly · May 09, 2007, 05:14:47 AM

Is it okay to have 10 frames in the hive bodies but 9 frames in the honey supers?

Sean Kelly

JP · May 09, 2007, 05:23:29 AM

the bees will fill up any extra space in your honey supers in a good flow, it'l just create a little extra work for you.

Michael Bush · May 09, 2007, 11:14:18 PM

>Is it okay to have 10 frames in the hive bodies but 9 frames in the honey supers?

It's wonderful actually. They are much easier to uncap when you have fatter combs. But I put them tightly together to get them drawn and then space the drawn comb out the next year.

DayValleyDahlias · May 09, 2007, 11:54:07 PM

Ugh, I get confused about all this comb talk...I have 8 frame set ups...I would like to have only one super on each brood box, I could potentially have 5 hives...( each one brood, one super ). I have been reading and shopping online, and saw these spacers...well they looked as though maybe I should get a few, so I ordered some...That means ) I am guessing ) the spacers will provide 7 frames in a 8 frame box...but only use the spacers in a honey super?

At this point I am not concerned if "I" don't get honey...just want the bees to have enough...Is it really necessary to use spacers? Is it less tha ideal to use spacers? :?

Shizzell · May 10, 2007, 02:15:21 PM

DayValley,
Here are some of my experiences. If you have a great flow, take honey. Unless of course, you wish to expand your hives by 3 or even 4 fold the next year. (Thats what I'm doing currently, I already made 1 split, making another split next weekend, and another split about 2-3 weeks after that if things go well) I left them the first year all of their honey, and they exploded their population. I didn't even feed them in the spring, and about 2 weeks into the flow already, they have a super full. Plus, I live in minnesota, so the winters are very harsh. Another thing you can do is take almost all of their honey, and feed them before winter, (after the flow). Make sure if you do that you also feed them sugar in spring. If you can figure out how much honey they need for the winter, and you are able to take a little, that is optimal unless you want to drastically increase your beeyard.

Jake

DayValleyDahlias · May 10, 2007, 04:43:15 PM

Thanks Jake,

I'll have to re-read that about a million times to process it..ack...

I don't want a bunch of hives, just a couple healthy ones...yup

Sharon