Subject: A problem I have with my first hive

From: Chris Friedl <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 1996 07:00:54 -0400

I was hoping that someone here could help me solve my problem:

     I recently purchased a 3# package of bees.  When they arrived I was
not home.  However, a friend who was also just beginning bees put them in
the hive for me.  When he did he only placed 5 of the 10 frames in the
hive body and placed the opened queen cage between some of the frames.  I
was to return and place the remaining frames when I returned home.
     When I arrived home and proceeded to put the remaining frames into
the hive body, I found that the bees had decided not to use the frames
with the foundation.  Instead they were more interested in placing the
comb in the empty part of the hive body.
     This would not be that much of a problem if it wern't for the fact
that they decided to attach the comb to the lid and to the hive floor,
not to the sides.
     My problem is that now that the entire comb is attached to the top,
I can't lift it off to manipulate the bees.  In addition, I don't know
how to transfer them to another hive.

     Can you give me a little advice?  I would greatly appreciate it.

     Thanks,

Chris Friedl
[email-masked]

P.S.  Are there any Bee related news groups, and if so what are they?
CF

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From: [email-masked] (Wilkhack)
Date: 4 Jul 1996 16:40:50 -0400

When you start a new hive with all new foundation you need to basically
force the bees to draw cells on it. That means that you have to fill the
hive body with all 10 frames of foundation. Now that you have cells built
all over the inside of your hive you need to scrape these off of the sides
and top and put all of your frames in the hive. This will leave them no
room to draw anywhere else but on the foundation. Keep the top bars of you
frames scraped clean of wax and the bottom as well. You will then be able
to open your hive more easily. To open your hive now you need to use your
hive tool and pry it open, then scrape clean of wax. The bees will build
"spur comb" on top of the frames as they start to run out of room keep it
scraped off or you will run into the same problem. If you can get ahold of
some drawn comb (foundation where bees have already built comb) the bees
like to use this much better that new foundation. They don't want to use
new foundation, that is why you have to force them.

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From: [email-masked] (Janet Katz)
Date: 4 Jul 1996 17:26:55 -0400

Chris:

I'll make two suggestions:

1. The "hammer" approach. Just get in there, remove all the burr comb,
gently shaking the bees back in, and put in the missing frames; or

2. If the pieces of burr comb attached to the top and sides are big
enough, gently remove them and place them in a frame wiring them in place
with the same thin wire you would embed in plain wax foundation. Make sure
the cant of the cells is upward (in other words, don't put the burr comb
in the frame up-side-down).

Both methods have been successful for me.
\
Janet A. Katz