Oxankle
09-03-2004, 10:05 PM
I built and put bees in some Top Bar hives this season.
A couple of weeks ago I placed thymol cords in the bottom of the boxes toward the rear where there were yet no combs. When I went to change them two days ago I saw that the bees had built comb over them. I would have had to lift the comb to get to them so I decided just to leave them.
This morning I saw something swinging in the breeze in front of the hive entrance on one of these. It turned out to be a 4-inch section of mop cord with three bees firmly attached by cotton wrapped around their legs.
The bees had completely removed all traces of honey, oil and wax so that the cord was light as gossamer. Had it not been entangled on a splinter I have no doubt the bees could have flown away with it, but they could not have dropped it.
Ox
A couple of weeks ago I placed thymol cords in the bottom of the boxes toward the rear where there were yet no combs. When I went to change them two days ago I saw that the bees had built comb over them. I would have had to lift the comb to get to them so I decided just to leave them.
This morning I saw something swinging in the breeze in front of the hive entrance on one of these. It turned out to be a 4-inch section of mop cord with three bees firmly attached by cotton wrapped around their legs.
The bees had completely removed all traces of honey, oil and wax so that the cord was light as gossamer. Had it not been entangled on a splinter I have no doubt the bees could have flown away with it, but they could not have dropped it.
Ox