Wonky Comb

[Jen]

tbone - it's not very often that I get close to another man's ear....  listen closely, I'm whispering........ get rid of the plastic....... do it now.... don't look back.... waaaaaaaax   

[apisbees]

In an intense flow the bees would have drawn the comb out to store nectar in to, Of if it was placed in the middle of combs with brood then they would build it to fill in the gap the frame created in the brood nest. because the bees felt that neither of these needed to happen on the frame they built a ladder over to the next frame, and it looks like they scavenged the wax coating on the frame to do it. scrap off the ladder comb and use a block of wax and rub it over the foundation so there is a coating on the cell imprint. then give it back to them and let them start again.

[Jen]

Interesting! Okay, I'll give it a try, thanks Scott and Apis

[LazyBkpr]

Apis, you have not had any issues with dropping foundation into the center of the brood nest?

[apisbees]

Not when the hive is strong and there is a flow on. But you need lots of bees in the hive so they get it drawn and laid so it doesn't become an interference to the queen movement.
I use both deeps and medium honey supers so I mostly have the bees draw out comb in the honey supers during the honey flow.

[LazyBkpr]

OK, Thanks..    Twice I had the bees fill out one side of the foundation, and more or less "move" to that side, which I assume is the side the queen was on, and more or less stop using the other part of the box..  I have heard horror stories of queen cells and swarming because the bees suddenly thought they were crowded or queenless.. but Have no idea how full those hives were or if there was a flow on. I do know the hives I had issues with were moderate. A lot of bees, but not sure I would say either was "strong".

[Jen]

Scott- "Twice I had the bees fill out one side of the foundation, and more or less "move" to that side, which I assume is the side the queen was on, and more or less stop using the other part of the box..

    Curious, and I may not be seeing the full picture here, but what would happen if you found that one side of the foundation was filled out.... and you simply turned that frame around and reinserted it?

[pistolpete]

depends on the situation.  What we were originally discussing is a hive that's getting honey bound or has a congested brood area.  A hive like this is typically very strong.  If you flip a frame in that situation nothing bad will happen and both sides will get worked faster.   If you do this in a weaker hive then you might end up with chilled brood, or brood that's too far from pollen and honey.

I flip frames around in supers regularly.   Place the fully drawn ones to the outsides and the partially drawn ones to the middle.   They never want to draw that outside one very well.

[Jen]

Thanks Pete, that's a good explaination. I rotate frames as well ~

[tbonekel]

Same here but I don't really do it on purpose. when I inspect, sometimes I will take out one frame and lean it up against the hive so I can work. When I go to put that frame back in, I sometimes forget the way I took it out. That's really pretty silly.

[Jen]

Good Morning tbone ~ I do that too, quite often, urrgggg ~

[Beeboy]

tbone - it's not very often that I get close to another man's ear....  listen closely, I'm whispering........ get rid of the plastic....... do it now.... don't look back.... waaaaaaaax   

That wasn't a very quite whisper. I heard it all the way over here! Good thing you didn't say something bad! 

[Jen]

HU!!? Didn't your mama tell you that ease dropping isn't nice???   

[Beeboy]

HU!!? Didn't your mama tell you that ease dropping isn't nice???   

Yes, she told me! 

[Jen]

Bee- "Yes, she told me!"

   I know... I didn't listen to my mother either