Big problem with burr comb...

[Intheswamp]

I'm having a problem with burr/bridge comb in the honey supers.  It is really creating a logjam in the efficiency of my inspections...really adding a lot of time in going through the hives and I see no way to get around the problem....

...I mean, I have to stop inspecting and slide my hive tool underneath that glistening pile of yellow gold and white wax sitting on top of the frames...then flick all the bees off of it (some can be downright "clingy"...don't they realize that that's *my* honey?)....next I walk away from the hive while unzipping (one handed) both zippers on my golden bee jacket...then either pick the honeycomb off the hive tool with my fingers or use the hive tool as a spoon (be careful they can be sharp!) and throw that golden glob into my mouth.....then once I'm getting a buzz on that great sweet gold...I have to zip my veil back up and go back to work.   But wait!!!!  What's that....hmmmm, some more busted up honey comb on top of those frames....gee, that burr comb is really a problem.... 

Ed

[blueblood]

If your "bee space" is good, I can't offer any wisdom except to say that a couple of my hives like to do their own thing.  I find myself removing the same comb in the same places.  I have one hive that building bur comb on the underside of the inner cover.  Maybe I violated the bee space?  Maybe they simply build from the wax left over just like they do when I apply wax on tbh shims for guides.

[Intheswamp]

It is just just bridge comb between boxes....it's really no big problem except that I need to work on having more *will power*. 

Ed

[Perry]

You deserve a break every now and then, it's good for ya. 

[riverbee]

i think i get what you are saying ed, so it's really not a problem?!.......

just some good old fashioned honey making going on?! 

i don't really 'inspect' my bees when i have good hives and they are filling supers, i leave them alone.  i make sure they have another super on if need be, and scrape off the honey filled burr and bridge comb into a plastic tub.  if the bees are doing this on the underneath side of the inner cover.....another super should go on pronto!  as far as the comb built under the inner cover without being filled......the bees just like to do that to make you scrape it off and they build it again....

[LazyBkpr]

Yep!! I know what your saying!!   Thats why I don't put the veil up until forced to..  MUCH easier to dispose of those pieces of sticky nasty burr comb.   

[pistolpete]

I would do some measuring if I were you.  The space between the top bars of the lower box and the bottom bars needs to be 3/8" or a bit smaller.   In my experience 1/4 inch works best, because they they don't feel the need to build ladders between the frames.   It sounds to me  like you get comb between the inner cover and the frames.   That's also a matter of that space being just a bit too big.  If you reduce the space by shaving 1/8" off the rim of the inner cover it should fix itself.    Any space larger than 3/8" gets filled with comb, any space smaller than 1/4" gets filled with propolis.

[Intheswamp]

Lazy, folks just don't know what a good service in eating all that nasty old burr comb.  I mean, somebody's gotta do it!   

Ed

[Intheswamp]

Pete, I think the measurements are pretty close.  I'm using Rossman boxes and Kelley frames....just the way I ended up doing it.    I think I've had only burr comb on the inner cover on only one small hive that I let get crowded before I added another box.  The rest of them are having just sporadic bridge comb between the hives.  I don't mind it as it isn't a terrible lot of it...and I enjoy eating some while I work.   Seems when I first started keeping bees I did some mesurements, I'll have to see where I recorded them...I think I took some pictures.  But, really, the biggest problem is slowing down to eat the comb.

Ed

[pistolpete]

I ate some with a bee attached one time, been a lot more careful about that since.   It's almost impossible to get the stinger out from the inside of the cheek.

[Intheswamp]

I'm glad you're still with us!!!  It may have been you that I read a post from regarding getting stung in the mouth.  Whoever it was, I took heed and inspect the comb closely before chomping down on it.  Having said that, I'm subject to mess up from time to time.      I don't even want to imagine how getting stung in the inside the cheek, or on the gums, or tonguer, or anywhere else in the mouth would go!!!!!  Seems like that could definitely be dangerous!!! 

Ed