Capped honey swelled out on the top of the brood frames?

[J-grow]

When you look down from the top one of my hives have built comb way out on the middle portion of the box like in between the middle 5 frames right under the top of the frame.  It is almost solid and full of honey with capped brood underneath it. 

Is that ok or what do I need to do?

Thanks

[Chip Euliss]

By solid, I'd guess you're talking bridge comb between frames?  Usually, when that happens there is too much space between frames.  If you are using 10-frame equipment and started with just foundation, you should have 10 frames to minimize bridge comb.  If you have 10 frames in there, the frames may just look to be connected as bees will often bridge frames together at the very top of the frames.  If so, just pry the frames apart and they should separate.  Sometimes during poor or intermittent flow conditions, the bees will sense a shortage of nectar and stop drawing comb but will put a bridge between frames.  If that's the case, just scrape the bad parts off and have them do it again.  Feeding lots of syrup will keep them so busy that they draw comb well and don't have time to be 'creative'

[J-grow]

Thanks very much for the reply.  It is not bridge comb ....... I have seen that and scraped it off before.  It's regular comb they have built out kinda like if you only had 9 frame spacing in a 10 frame box ....... It's out further than the frame top so when you look down from the top you see comb on one frame next to the comb on the next frame with almost no room between them and they are full of honey with brood below. 

It's just drawn out to far but if I scrape it it would be a big mess?  ....... It might not be a problem just doesn't look " normal " ........... Based on my absolute no knowledge of what normal really is?!

[iddee]

They are trying to make a ceiling. The upper cells will many times be deeper at the top of the frame. It is done mostly on frames where brood has been raised, with a honey band above the brood.

[J-grow]

Ok thanks ....... So leave it alone nothing to fix correct?

[iddee]

Until extracting time. It makes it much easier to uncap.

[Jen]

Very Interesting! I've seen that a lot over the years, never knew. Thanks Iddee

[apisbees]

What Iddee posted. Understanding the bee space and how the bees treat it depending where it is in the hive.
Comb spacing in the brood area is the depth of the worker cells (length of the worker bee = 1/2 inch) plus enough space for 2 bees to pass back to back. So the frame spacing in the brood area is 1 3/8" center to center. This leaves a 3/8" as a bee space. Where honey is being stored the bees will narrow the bee space down to 1/4" and draw the comb out a little deeper. If less than 10 frames are used in a brood super and the frames are spaced further apart the length of the bees\brood cells stays the same, the bee space between the comb surfaces will be larger and the honey will be drawn out even further past the top bars.
Just leave it It will not effect the bees and if they remove the honey and lay brood in those cells the bees will cut them back to the length of the bees, 1/2".

[J-grow]

I'm glad I took the time to ask!  I had basically already made my mind up that I was going to scrape it all and create a giant mess as I had convinced myself it was not ok to leave it.

My bee's are very glad I met y'all

[WantToBeeLady]

I'm looking at the same thing here.  The frames are tight in the box.  But there is still comb between them.  Second, third and fourth frame had one big hole going through all three with comb in the middle of that.  Looks like the new outer frames are almost completely built out with comb and capped brood.  I thought it would take longer for this hive to develop, it's not even three weeks that I've had it. I'm not disappointed, just surprised.

[tecumseh]

if you run 9 frames in a 10 frame box this tendency is even more dramatic.  If you forget to put one frame back into the hive (yep done that) then this 'fat comb' effect can get to look almost bazar.  as to what to do if in the brood area of the hive.... normally in the fall of year I leave this alone and figure it helps the bees in moving sideways from comb to comb.... in the spring of the year I remove this with my hive tool since it make the next inspection a bit easier and less disruptive of the brood nest.