Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

ocba - [ocba] Help with comb under the bottom board

ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Orange County, NC Beekeepers

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Tax Family Home <taxfamilyhome AT gmail.com>
  • To: ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [ocba] Help with comb under the bottom board
  • Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2017 16:01:35 -0400

Hello OCBA,

We are first-year beekeepers and are having an interesting time with one of our two hives. Our hard-working bees have drawn out comb below the hive, as shown in these photos. 

Preview attachment August 2017 014.JPG
August 2017 014.JPG
1.8 MB
Preview attachment August 2017 011.JPG
August 2017 011.JPG
1.8 MB
Preview attachment August 2017 012.JPG
August 2017 012.JPG
3.1 MB

Here's the back story. When it got hot a month or so ago, the bees started bearding outside this hive, below the bottom board. The bearding may also have been due in part to the hive being at capacity. We added a second deep full of empty frames and started feeding to encourage them to draw out new comb. We were hoping that the bees would come back into the hive, but they remained outside the hive and drew out comb on the screened bottom board.

We would like to bring the bees and the comb they have drawn out back into the hive and are looking for suggestions on ways to do that. When I talked to David Eckert a day or so ago, he suggested pulling out some of the plastic foundation frames, cutting the new comb off the bottom board and attaching it to empty frames using rubber bands, cord, etc. That sounds like a good way to go, and we're also wondering how anyone else who has run into a situation like this has handled it.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions and support.

Jan and Karen Tax





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page