Subject: wild comb outside hive

From: [email-masked] (JCHenry500)
Date: 20 Aug 1996 18:49:25 -0400

a couple of weeks ago I did some work in the hive and removed some wild
comb.  I suspect some of it fell around the hive.  Today I noticed an
unusually large number of bees outside the hive.  After I smoked them, I
realized they were working on a large piece of wild comb.  They have
attched it to the hive in three places.  It looks like a handsized piece
of brown coral.  Is this unusual, should I just scrape it off and throw it
away?

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From: [email-masked] (Pollinator)
Date: 21 Aug 1996 15:49:38 -0400

>of brown coral.  Is this unusual, should I just scrape it off and throw
it

    Better get some supers on the hive.  Probably was a bit of brood on
the burr comb, and they have protected it, but if they are building more
comb outside the hive, they badly need space.

    The last thing you want, this late in the season, is to crowd the
hive, shut down the queen, then go into winter with all old bees!

[email-masked]    Dave Green,  PO Box 1200,  Hemingway,  SC
29554

Practical Pollination Home Page            Dave & Janice Green
http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html

[email-masked]                                   Dave and Janice Green
Practical Pollination Home Page    
http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html  
PO Box 1200, Hemingway, SC    29554

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From: [email-masked] (David J Trickett)
Date: 23 Aug 1996 03:08:56 GMT

:     Better get some supers on the hive.  Probably was a bit of brood on
: the burr comb, and they have protected it, but if they are building more
: comb outside the hive, they badly need space.

:     The last thing you want, this late in the season, is to crowd the
: hive, shut down the queen, then go into winter with all old bees!

Pollinator is right.

I have seen this happen with a crowded hive (earlier this year).  In my
case it was a single hive (i.e, no hives nearby) with a piece of comb that
had plenty of honey but no brood in it.  I figured there were few or no
bees from other hives around to rob, so I might as well place the comb on
the entrance and let the hive from which it originated rob it out.  Well
they decided to attach it to the hive instead.  This was/is a very strong
two queen hive.  I removed the exterior comb, and opened up the hive to
check for congestion.  They were definitely crowded.  Added supers and 
have had no problems since. 

Dave T.